10 Years Proud

What have you done over the past ten years that you can feel proud of?

Before you dismiss the question, take a moment.

Maybe you raised a family, stayed in a job, finished school, wrote a book, or kept going on your walks. Maybe you quit drinking or worked toward something that mattered to you.

It does not have to look enormous to someone else. I want you to acknowledge what you have been showing up for.

Pause before moving to the next goal

In episode 520, I celebrated ten years of publishing this podcast.

My work is often focused on the future: visions, goals, and what we might create next. That makes it easy to forget to stop and appreciate what has happened.

I remembered sitting at my table recording the first episode. Students had encouraged me to start a podcast for months. I already had years of coaching experience, my content, and the Model.

Pat Flynn had published instructions that helped me understand the microphone, recording, sound, and editing. I was nervous and excited.

Then I turned on the mic, organized my thoughts, and started.

Looking back at a decade of weekly recordings, I wanted to let myself feel proud instead of immediately ask what was next.

Give yourself credit for sticking with it

Consistency may not feel dramatic while you are practicing it.

You get up. You go to work. You care for your family. You take the walk. It can become so familiar that you stop noticing it.

What have you stuck with?

If something comes easily to you, you may not count it as an accomplishment. I want to caution you against that. Something does not have to be hard every day to deserve acknowledgment.

You are still doing it. You are still creating something through that consistency.

Take a moment to recognize it.

Celebrate doing it when you did not want to

There were many times I needed to record a podcast and did not feel like it.

I did not have a topic. I did not know what to say. I could not think of an idea.

I sat down, wrote an outline, and recorded anyway. Sometimes the result was much better than I expected. Sometimes it was useful for my own life.

That is part of what I was proud of: not only the recordings that felt easy, but the work I created when I had to help myself begin.

Where have you done that? What did you complete despite not feeling ready or eager?

Appreciate the body of work you have created

Recording every week gave me a collection of tools and ideas I was proud of.

It also created a record of my voice and teaching. I loved thinking about children, grandchildren, or later generations being able to hear it if they wanted.

When I reviewed early episodes for the anniversary, I was proud that the teaching could still help people, including me.

I could listen to my past self and feel grateful for what she had created.

You may have your own version of that. It might be a body of work, a family life, skills, or something you have built slowly over years.

Notice how your past effort supports your present experience.

Honor the way that worked for you

I also felt proud that I built this community in a way that suited me.

I am an introvert. I value privacy and time alone or with my family. Sharing my life personally on social media every day never felt natural.

The podcast gave me another way to share myself and help people. It created a consistent connection through my voice and teaching.

I have met people who recognized my voice before they recognized my face. I understand that connection because I feel close to people whose podcasts have taught me, too.

You do not have to assume that the route someone else uses is the only route available. I acknowledged what I knew would work for me and kept working to make it work.

Let pride strengthen your relationship with yourself

Think back to where you were ten years ago.

How old were you? Where did you live? What were your dreams? What have you committed to since then?

You may initially think you have done nothing significant. Stay with the question.

Pick one area: work, relationships, health, family, or something you created. Look at what your past self did for you.

That acknowledgment can create love and gratitude beyond what you usually feel in the everyday. Pride is one of my favorite emotions to generate for myself.

Then re-decide

After acknowledging the past, consciously decide what you want to continue.

I learned the idea of re-deciding from teachers including Dave Ramsey. One example is asking whether you would buy your current house again today.

The time, money, and effort already invested can make us feel stuck. Re-deciding reminds us we have options.

You may choose the same thing. You may choose something different. The important part is that you consider it rather than let the past make the decision automatically.

I do this with my business, personal life, and assets. Many things remain consistent because I keep choosing them. Other things change.

At the ten-year anniversary, I chose to continue the podcast while changing its regular format from weekly to monthly. I could be proud of the decade behind me and choose a different pace going forward.

Celebrate what you have done. Let yourself feel it. Then ask what you want to choose now, with appreciation for the person who brought you here.