The Best Time To Evaluate and Celebrate

I’m coming up on a year. 

One year ago I quit my “amazing” nursing job.  (I use the word amazing in quotes because that is how many nurses described the position I held.)

So, I’m taking some time to reflect. 

• What have I accomplished? 
• What haven’t I accomplished that I hoped I would? 
• What could I have done better? 
• What are some things I did better than I expected?

This has been a CHALLENGING exercise for me.

Reflection is something that is super uncomfortable.  I can’t say I’ve ever really done it unless I’ve been forced to (for school or my employer). 

I don’t like it because it feels slow and tedious.

I’m not good at slow.

Maybe you can relate?  Have you ever said, “I’m too busy”?  It just rolls off your tongue.  Then someone asks you what you’ve been busy with and you draw a blank.  Or what you do think of doesn’t really sound that busy once you say it out loud.

Then you realize, maybe you weren't that busy; you've just been busy in your mind.  You see that your mind has been running a hundred miles an hour going in all different directions that you never actually went… anywhere.

Is this only me?

If not, let me tell you what I've figured out.

It’s uncomfortable to slow down and reflect.  Here is what happens, in my head, when I do…

• “That’s doesn’t seem like that much.”
• “You should have done more.”
• “That’s not a big accomplishment.”
• “You really screwed up there.”
• “Now you’re behind. Look at all this time you’re wasting.” 

No wonder I don’t reflect.

I treat myself terribly.  There is no celebration. My mind keeps running with no direction.  Plus, I tell myself it’s just all a waste.

AHHHHH!

It makes so much more sense.

One thing the enemy is really good at is deceiving, twisting truth into a lie.  He loves to stop us from doing things that would benefit us. 

Here's how you know it's deception; we start shaming ourselves and not dwelling on what is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8)

I have been deceived.

Evaluation and celebration are GOOD things.

Evaluation helps me LEARN from my past decisions.  When I learn from my past decisions, I make better decisions in the future; more conscious and deliberate decisions rather than my old habitual responses.

Then, the celebration allows space for me to give glory to God.  It’s a space of gratitude and joy. 

Maybe your asking, “So what? What if I don’t evaluate or celebrate?  Why is it important to me and losing weight?”

It’s very important.

I see this all the time, not just in myself.  My client loses 5 lbs and then beats herself up because she had two bowls of ice cream last night.

After being coach, she realized she was telling herself “I need to treat myself for the job well done!”.   She just fell back into her habitual response to “treating” herself… FOOD.

Now, if she would have stopped to evaluate and learn from her experience of losing the weight, she would have realized that she doesn’t feel good using food as a treat.  Plus, if she would have just stopped and CELEBRATED the accomplishment consciously, she wouldn't have used food because she knows ways she would rather honor that accomplishment.

This is why evaluation and celebrate is VITAL.

They keep you AWARE!  

That awareness is actually how you will speed up in the long run.

PS Sometimes this process is so foreign we don’t know where to start.  Look at the beginning of the post to find some question prompts to use to evaluate.  For a celebration, be creative!  Maybe it’s a dance party with your kids or making a poster for yourself to put up in your bedroom as a reminder.  It doesn’t have to look one way.  Just find the thing that brings you joy.  Joy is the BEST celebration.  If you need some help, know I am always HERE!