Acknowledge Yourself for ALL That YOU Do

Do you ever stop and take inventory of everything you do? Not only the items on your to-do list - all the things you do in between - all day, every day?

This week I shared on social that I completed the #75Hard Challenge. One of my greatest awarenesses during those 75 days of working out two times per day, reading 10 pages per day, drinking a gallon of water, and being mindful about my eating (which was time-consuming at times), is the realization that I do a whole heck of a lot in my days that will never make their way onto a list.

You guys! I had no idea what the kitchen would look like when the magical dishes fairy that I guess I’ve been all these years started working out for 1.5 hours per day plus all of my other commitments. My husband stepped up (credit where it’s due) and yet - WOW! I had never tested out what would happen if I literally stopped doing some things like the time-consuming task of keeping that kitchen clean. Same with the absence of the laundry fairy. And yet, these things are never on my list, nor do I celebrate myself or give myself proper credit for doing them. Rather, for years, when the house got messy, I felt ashamed. (If your husband or kids are your dish fairy, yay you! Amp up the appreciation stat! That is not an insignificant effort.)

What about the time that we spend with our kids reading books with them when they are little or sitting and listening to them when they want to talk during their teenage years? And all those hours logged driving them to their activities? What about the time we spend visiting with a friend or sitting on our patio drinking a cup of coffee? What about the time we spend following up with emails or other work tasks that may not be on the list? You know what your things are - pause and process everything you do on a regular basis. Rather than going straight to overwhelm or headfirst into resentment, what if you gave yourself some massive credit for being a total badass?

It’s super fascinating being a life coach - really, this is my jam, my happy place, my church. I feel the hearts and see the Truths, the magnificence in each human that I coach. I sense her superpowers and see her possibilities. And then I hold space for her subconscious thoughts that will range all the way from, “I’m lazy. I don’t do enough (or do it well enough)” to “I am overwhelmed. I have too many balls I’m juggling. I do everything for everyone.” FROM THE SAME HUMAN. I am lazy and I do way too much - in the same unconscious run-on sentence.

Sound familiar? Let’s get curious and see if we can help you get out of the tug-of-war of negative, shaming thoughts.

Listen up: Never, ever do anything because you think you should or someone told you that you are supposed to. Never do something because you need to. Never do something because you are not ___ enough. I mean never, ever. These thoughts are shame-based and are not healthy. The thoughts themselves are de-motivating and lead to feeling depleted - no matter how much you do and how hard you try.

If you are thinking of a thought right now that doesn’t apply to above - “Aha! I have an exception.” No. You don’t. I coach those exceptions every day. I repeat: never do something because you think you should.

Choose to take action because you want to.

When you shift to this place of ownership of your choices to do or not to do, you all of a sudden free yourself of the shame.

The #75Hard Challenge was hard. I decided to do it to work on my mind-chatter and prove to myself that I can do a series of hard, actionable things every day for 75 days. I did not do this challenge because I thought that I should or that I needed to. I didn’t do it because I thought that I should or needed to lose weight. I did it because it was time for me to stop allowing the negotiator voice in my head to undermine the empowered, wise woman that I am. It was time for me to override that voice. Not because I should, I did the challenge because it was a radical choice of kindness for myself and I was beyond ready to move into a place of wisdom leadership regarding my habits.

I could not have done this without doing the years of internal work to know who I am and who I am not. I am not the messy kitchen. Therefore, I have zero judgment of myself for all the things that I did not do over the past two and a half months because not a single one defines me. That is freedom, empowerment, and big-time self-love!

Today, pause. Give yourself credit for who you are and all that you do. Be proud. You are amazing. Truly! Choose an act of kindness for yourself: Sit and read your book a little longer. Call your friend that you haven’t talked to in ages. Take a bath. Go for a walk. Take a nap. The things that you think you need to do will wait. No shoulds today. Today, choose actions that are just right for you at this moment. And if that is laundry, acknowledge that you are choosing it because you want to not because you have to.

Trust yourself to live your life from a place of ownership and choice. Trust yourself to meet your life free of shoulds and embrace your Soul’s desired way to BE. YOU ARE AN EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN! Let yourself make choices that honor all of who you BE.

If you’re ready to find the True You, I invite you to join me in a complimentary Courage Session. Just send me a message here and I’ll get you on my calendar.

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Celebrating YOU,

Jill Keuth | Life Coach
Be Courageously You
https://JillKeuth.com/