The other day I had a minor business setback. It wasn’t anything catastrophic, just a minor setback, however I found myself immediately second guessing everything. I began wondering what I had done wrong. I blamed myself. I questioned my decision making skills. I went from feeling really great about my abilities, to feeling as though I had failed. Eventually I was able to take a step back and evaluate the situation. Why was I being so hard on myself? Why was I putting unrealistic expectations on myself? Why did everything have to be labeled as either a complete success or an utter failure?

Instead of wallowing, which is so easy to do, I sat down and began writing a list of accomplishments. Little things that I felt proud of. As I began to write, I could hear that nagging voice questioning my accomplishments. Saying things like, “that’s not really an accomplishment” or “That’s not worthy of being added to the list.” I ignored the voice and kept writing. I wrote what I felt good about, what I like about myself, and what I am grateful for in my life. It didn’t take long, maybe ten minutes, but by the end of those ten minutes, I felt better.

It’s so easy to fall into the “inevitable doom” mentality and begin questioning yourself and your abilities. When we hear that nagging voice, it is imperative to take a step back and reflect on our truth. We can do this by writing our successes, reflecting on our positive attributes, and reminding ourselves about what we are grateful for. The next time you have setback and you hear that berating voice, sit down and make a list. You’ll be surprised by all the positivity that you uncover.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

My accomplishments:

My positive attributes:

I am grateful for: