On Accomplishments
Just the other day I was sitting in our living room chatting with Jackson reminiscing on the past–and specifically, our accomplishments. It’s so easy to get caught up in the future, the planning, the next step. But there is something to be said about recognizing, and celebrating where you are.
Poor Jackson probably thought I had an aneurysm–because out of the blue I turned to him a few days ago while we were sitting in our living room and I said something like, “Can you believe we’re here?!” with literally zero context. Thankfully J puts up with my arbitrary behavior and he let me blab until I got to the point of how thankful I am that we are where we are.
I told him–I remembered when I was in college at University of San Francisco with my friends, and we would walk down to the neighborhood we now live in–wandering the streets and marveling over how cute the apartments were, and how charming the streets looked. We told ourselves…one day. One day we might be able to live in a neighborhood like this–but it would probably be far away and when we were in a different tax bracket–if ever. As young, broke, naive college kids–we had so much hope and want for this next step. I remember the feeling of pure lust for living in a charming neighborhood, having a job I loved, and getting to be creative everyday. I wanted a “big girl desk” and a planner and a to-do list. I wanted a dog, and a cute apartment that I could decorate with wood floors (I don’t know why, but that was my #1 non-negotiable for apartment hunting).
That was six years go. I now live in that neighborhood I once coveted, in a home that we’ve built over years of investment. I get to be creative everyday–and that is one of the largest privileges I could ask for. I definitely have a planner and to-do list–but they’re full of things that truly fulfill me.
I just think that we would all be a little happier if we could recognize our accomplishments (however small or large they may be) more often. It’s so easy to get caught in the mantra of, I want this next or why don’t I have this year or when I get “x” I’ll do “y”. I know it’s important to have goals, but it’s equally as important to honor how far we’ve come. So this all might just feel like a humble brag–but quite honestly we should all be humbly bragging a bit more about the things we’ve been working years for.
I think for me personally, I always beat myself up for feeling like I’m not doing enough. I think it stems from the go-go-go world we live in, and the pressures from the vortex of social media. It’s easy to get caught up in the comparison game, instead of honoring our own achievements. That said, social media is just a glimpse into peoples lives, and a very curated glimpse at that. The only whole picture we’re seeing is our own life–right in front of us. So why can’t we be more celebratory, gentle and honoring of that?
Admittedly, this is easier said than done and I’m the first person to acknowledge that. But here’s the thing–this year was one of the toughest yet for me. It was full of challenges, heartbreaks, fails, flops, and fugliness. Yes, fugliness. It’s easy for me to say this year was so hard–on to the next. Yet after my realization the other day, I would rather take what this year has taught me and honor all of our accomplishments leading up to where we are now. I would rather leave 2022 with a feeling of thankfulness and abundance for growth and lessons learned, than to merely bitterly depart. And often, it’s better to look at the whole picture, as opposed to just one tiny fragment.
So all this said, if you’re feeling low, overwhelmed or even the slightest bit lost–I always find that it helps to look back at the big picture. At how far you’ve come over the past 5 years–and then putting that into perspective to honor your most recent past, present and future.
A few things I’m thankful for accomplishing as of late–
We’re planning a wedding!
The health of our family
New friends made
The beautiful city we call home
Taking a chance on myself and starting to work for myself
Our beautiful home
