By Jonel Thames Leake, CPCU, AAI, ASLI, CPIW, DAE, CLP
Like many people, I sometimes feel that my to-do list is 100 miles long and that I am not getting anything done. I can beat myself up because of the things I didn’t get done when I thought I should have. At the last meeting of my Mastermind group “Women of Wisdom”, our group leader, Lisa Hardin, asked us all to share what we had accomplished since our last meeting. As each member told their story, I became more and more impressed with the members of our group. They were all getting things accomplished. It was wonderful to see that the group was excited as we congratulated each member for those achievements. That supportive environment is one of the best parts of being in a Mastermind group.
When it was my turn to share, my first thought was that I didn’t do nearly as much as everyone else. As I started my list, I realized that wasn’t true and that I, too, had many things to be proud of. The simple task of listing what I had accomplished made me realize that I wasn’t stalled, and I was checking many things off that dreaded to-do list. I left that meeting feeling good and energized to attack the rest of my list.
I have spent some time thinking about that meeting and realized that, while I am always happy to cheer on someone else for their accomplishments, I often dismiss what I achieve. I know that I am not the only one who answers “oh, it was nothing” when someone congratulates me.
I challenge all of you to take a minute and list everything you have done lately and to simply say thank you when someone congratulates you. Acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments the same way you do for others. It will make you feel better, and you have earned it!
Jonel Thames Leake, CPCU, AAI, ASLI, CPIW, DAE, CLP is currently serving as the Region I Vice President. Writing this blog post has eliminated one of her to-do items for the month of March.