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Keep a List of Achievements to Remind Yourself You Aren’t a Complete Loser
At some point in your life, you’ve accomplished something that you set out to.
When we aren’t getting the results we want, we need to remember the person we are capable of being. We need to restore faith in ourselves.
Write down your achievements. Print out a photo. Display your trophies and certificates. Have some sort of easily visible and accessible memento of your successes.
If you are someone that experiences self doubt, it helps to give yourself a not so subtle reminder of your accomplishments and abilities.
Even if you don’t keep a physical reminder, it’s useful to keep a list in your head.
It certainly helps me.
Symbolism over Grandeur
Perhaps you played a role in a winning sports team. Maybe you did quite well academically. Maybe you got a promotion in recognition of your hard work and leadership skills. Or maybe you finally reached a certain level in World of Warcraft.
It doesn’t matter what the achievement is, what matters most is the symbolism of achievement.
I do a lot of trivial things that I am proud to call achievements.
I learned how to solve a Rubik’s cube in under 1 minute and 30 seconds. I’m in the top 1% of easy level Sudoku solvers in terms of speed. And, more recently I learned to type over 100 words per minute.
Yes, I know. Why would anyone bother doing these things, right?
Do these accomplishments mean anything in the real world?
No, not particularly.
But they matter to me. I remember believing that these were impossible tasks to accomplish. I knew other people could do it but I didn’t think I could.
Once you acquire the appropriate knowledge and put in the work, the seemingly impossible becomes possible.
Sometimes just showing up is enough to succeed.
