Victories

Have you ever noticed that treating a child kindly tends to have better results than being unkind? At the supermarket I make a point of smiling, making eye contact and saying hello to the checker. At the restaurant I am nice to the waitstaff. When I go to the post office--no matter how long the line was--I am friendly to the clerk.

Let's turn it around. Let's say I walk through my life being annoyed, displeased and smug. Let's say I make sure the child knows that I think s/he's an idiot...that the checker at the market is beneath me, the waitstaff are not taking good enough care of me and the postal worker is a waste of my time. There are plenty of people who live like this--you know some of them, you might even be some of them (I am sometimes!). But what's the point?

Kindness is reciprocal. Even if there's no immediate payback, there is always a payback--it's karmic.

My cat must want to be fed because he's just put his body on the keyboard...

Ok, my point is this: I am almost always kind when I'm out in the world. But I tend to be super critical and unkind to myself. I am quick to find my faults and I practically bathe in the waters of reproach. I am almost eager to call myself an idiot and smack my palm to my forehead.

So here's how I combat that behavior. Many nights as I assess my day, I make myself a victory list. This helps me stay in the positive, kind frame of mind that it so helpful to sustaining forward momentum. And it totally contradicts the tendency to diminish my hard work or treat myself badly for still being some sort of a failure (aka, still being on the path instead of at the destination)...

Here's some victories last week--especially as they correspond to my get healthy goals:

Goal - Boot camp 5x, plus 1 hour extra cardio
Victory - Boot camp 4x plus 8 hours extra cardio and 2 yoga sessions

Goal - Eat according to nutritionist's food plan
Victory - periodically read nutritionist's food plan, had several salads

Goal - Meditate daily
Victory - Meditated 3x

Other victories: wrote in journal several times, wrote blog, talked honestly with friends, went to the beach, didn't eat sherbet at the party, did laundry, felt my feelings, prepared Sunday School lesson, watched Netflix movies, work related email...you know, stuff like that.

If you don't already do it, try a victory list. Give yourself a pat on the back. Treat yourself at least as kindly as you treat the lady at the DMV.