When was the last time you were given praise for your accomplishments and for the good deeds that you did today?

If you are one of the lucky few, you have a boss or a loved one who makes sure that you know each and every day how much you are appreciated and valued.

How many of you deserve that pat on the back .. that singing of your praises for your good deeds and accomplishments for the day? How many of you would like to hear it?

Well, you can… and you should!

In my seminar, “The Five Gifts”, one of the gifts I share with you is the importance and value of making time at the end of each day to list your accomplishments and the things that you are proud of having done. The truth is, we all deserve to be patted on the back for the positive things we have accomplished. But, chances are, we are not going to hear it from somebody else. It would be nice if we did. But in the end, what is really important is that we reflect on and are aware of all the good things that we were responsible for today. By doing so we reinforce the behavior, and we create the habit of doing more of it.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where the focus is usually on all that is wrong in and with the world. We glorify and publicize the wrong-doers and bad examples in our society. We tend to overlook all the good that actually outweighs the bad, but somehow gets lost in all the media blitz.

Create the Winning Habit …

• You deserve that recognition and praise… so go ahead… make it happen…
• Make time every evening to reflect on everything you are proud of yourself for accomplishing today (projects you completed, commitments you kept, your to-do list that you checked off, random acts of kindness you did for others, etc.)
• Note the little things as well as the BIG things
• Praise yourself and your accomplishments
• Be aware of how it makes you feel when you pause to give yourself a pat on the back
• Remember: “Our lives are a combination of good and bad, positive and negative. It is the best of times, and it is the worst of times; all the time. When we choose to focus on the good that already exists, our lives get better; if not they don’t. Either way, life goes on.” (Peter McWilliams)
• Look for and praise the contributions of others
• Have a positive attitude
• Make a list of all the things you have in your life that you should be grateful for. (My good friend, Nancy Matthews, came up with a fun gratitude exercise. Start today with the letter ‘A’, and list five things beginning with ‘A’ that you are grateful for. Then tomorrow, list five things starting with the letter ‘B’… and so on. At the end of the month you will have created the habit of being grateful. This is a great exercise to do with your kids and your loved ones.)
• Accept responsibility for you.