Maybe you do what I do. You sit down to complete your Full Focus Journal every evening, and one of the questions asks: What are some recent wins?
Do you ever find yourself thinking … um, none. I didn’t have any wins today.
Think again. I bet you did.
Try using a little springboard to shake your thoughts loose. Think about what happened in each of these categories and see if you can come up with some of your recent wins.
Experiences
Experiences are anything that might happen that made an impact on you. That might be:
- discovering that you won a prize.
- anything that delights your senses — flowers, a massage, a delicious meal, a magnificent sunset, your favorite song from yesteryear, or anything else that is pleasing to your senses.
- anything that deepens your relationship with someone — having your baby call you “mama” for the first time is for sure memorable, but a telephone call from your great Aunt Mildred might have a big impact on you, too.
Growth
Growth might be financial growth. Perhaps you’ve just made the first sale of your first online product, or you’ve achieved your revenue goal for the quarter.
Growth might be intellectual growth. Did you read a book or listen to a podcast that had a meaningful message for you? Something you can implement right away?
Growth might be self-reflection that helps you to become more self-aware, more honest with yourself, more accountable to yourself, your family, or your colleagues. If you have some new insight about yourself, that’s definitely a win.
Growth might be beating a bad habit.
Growth might be installing a good habit or having a “streak” of continuing that good habit for a specific number of days.
Milestones
Life event milestones might include having a birthday or an anniversary. It might also be reaching the age of majority, getting engaged, or having a baby.
An individual milestone might be something like losing 2 pounds, running a 5K marathon, or successfully signing up for Medicare.
Project milestones: Getting accepted to a college, getting your mortgage application approved, or finishing a chapter in the book you’re writing are all examples of project milestones.
Breakthroughs
What’s a breakthrough? Merriam-Webster definitions include:
- a sudden advance especially in knowledge or technique or a medical breakthrough
- a person’s first notable success
- an act or instance of moving through or beyond an obstacle
So, what might have recently happened that you’d consider a breakthrough? Although they aren’t earth-shattering, how about these:
- You discovered the answer to a problem you’ve been wrestling with
- You had an “aha!” moment for something you’d like to do or pursue
- A client you’ve been courting for months finally signed a big contract
Other
I’m not sure that this covers the waterfront, but hopefully, it’s enough to get you started about where your “wins” are.
In the Gap and the Gain, Sullivan and Hardy tell us to stay focused on the gains; otherwise, we get stuck in the gaps. So try to jot down 3 of your big wins every night in my journal. You might be surprised to see how much better you sleep!
What wins have you had recently? Share your wins, no matter how big or small, in the comments below!