Release to Receive
At the beginning of each month, I do monthly reflections which includes writing down 10 things that I feel proud of or that I achieved in the last month.
Big or small.
Business or Personal.
I then sit with each “win” for a bit.
It’s honestly something that I want to skip every month because I have a hard time celebrating myself and tend to jump ahead to “What’s next?” with each met goal.
But this practice forces me to pause, reflect and look for what went well rather than focusing on what I haven’t done yet. It has also been a great antidote for “imposter syndrome”
I encourage you to pause and reflect (whether weekly or monthly). I can’t tell you how significant it’s been in allowing me to give myself more grace. And it’s a helluva antidote for the pesky imposter syndrome.
One of my VIP clients that is working to build her caseload shared a win recently that made me SO happy:
A great-fit current client in her practice reported that they need to pause therapy...maybe indefinitely.
The win was that my VIP client did NOT feel a flood of anxiety or what I call not-enough-itis
And she NOTICED this.
It was new. And foreign. She couldn’t imagine feeling this sense of calmness when a client was terminating therapy.
Or when a consultation didn’t turn out to be a good fit or convert to a client.
The urge to “hang on to current clients for dear life” had dissipated.
And it had been replaced with this confident, self-assured, calm ora.
She was ready and willing to release AND to receive what was to come. With genuine grace and ease.
Imagine how EASY it could be to overlook this subtle moment if you aren’t regularly pausing and reflecting.
Highlights, wins, achievements...whatever you want to call them...they have soooo many shapes, sizes and forms.
Some are subtle, quiet and sneaky.
Hence, why you have to pause and reflect so you don’t miss:
A self-care routine that you have continued to maintain for however long.
An “A-ha” moment that you had like my VIP Client.
Noticing that you need accountability for fitness and booking a class.
Permitting yourself to get off the phone with your sibling when they don’t respect your boundaries.
That you didn’t hesitate to charge a client for a late cancellation.
That you said “No” to your overbearing neighbor
That you shared a win with your support squad when your tendency is to hide & minimize.
Are you carving out intentional time to pause & reflect? As we inch into a New Year, you may be putting more focus on future goals.
But past wins contribute to new ones.
And if you miss or overlook them, you could find yourself working a lot harder than necessary.
AND being harder on yourself in general. I’ve found that gratitude & self-grace combat the story that it has to be “hard”.
So carve out some time and do 3 things:
Pause
Reflect
Sitting in your wins & the meaning & celebrate in your own way
Let’s commit to finding more grace with ourselves as we help our clients do the same.
If you haven’t already, make sure to take a listen to a great convo, “Find Flow With Money” with Linzy Bonham on The Money Skills for Therapists Podcast. Let’s slide into 2022 with more ease and flow.