Sometimes, I feel down about myself.
You too?
Maybe I think I should be further ahead in my career, kinder to my husband, a better friend, a more patient parent… and on.
Oh, what’s that? You feel the same way too?
Sigh.
It’s hard, isn’t it? We all wish we were a bit better, had a bit more, or were a bit less in some areas.
I do think it’s natural to feel this way, but knowing that doesn’t make the experience any better, does it.
Something that helps me is to remember how far I’ve come.
The Victory Log
In a copywriting course I once took, it was suggested that we keep a running log of all our victories. That way, when we inevitably face discouragement, we can refer back to the victory log to remind us of everything we’ve already done.
There’s this thing our brains do. I don’t know the science behind it, but our brains forget the good we’ve done. They also minimize our strengths, and convince us we aren’t all that great.
But the victory log slaps our brains in the face (that’s a visual) and reminds them that we’ve actually already done a heckuva lot to be proud of.
Why the Victory Log Works
During a rough time, I stumbled on my own victory log.
Over the last five or so years, I had written down huge things — like starting a business, and small things — like some volunteer work I did at my kids’ school.
I had written down about websites my husband and I built (this is one here), courses I had taken, places I’ve been published, and even that I successfully got a small loan.
I had listed every job I had as an adult, and everything I have created for my business.
I didn’t even go into personal or family victories in my victory log, but seeing everything else written in one place was a huge boost.
It reminded me that, even though some of the workings of my business are pretty ordinary now, they were really difficult and scary to achieve at one point.
It reminded me that I had overcome some major fears; that I had not given up.
Sure, I had failures and gave up on a lot in those five years.
But there was so much I had stuck with until it was successful.
And that was a fantastic morale booster.
How the Victory Log Works
If you haven’t ever kept track of your personal wins and victories, this is a great time to start.
The victory log can work however you want it to work. At the end of this post, there’s a free printable you can use. Just scroll down to grab it.
And really, it’s totally up to you and your beautiful brain. What format would work for you?
- In whatever format works for you — visual, words, handwritten, typed, voice memo, etc. — sit down and start remembering.
- Pick a category of your life — work, education, health, spiritual, home, talents, volunteer work, friendships, family, etc. Remember everything you’ve done within that category that makes you proud.
- Record every single thing, even if it’s small now. Remember, at one point it was big.
For example, I once won a literary contest in my town. The organizers felt a need to tell me there were only a few entrants (thanks?), so it wasn’t much of a victory. But still, it was the first time I won anything for something I wrote. And I earned $50 — the first payment I ever received for my writing. It was small because the contest was small, but it was still a huge personal victory. - Move on to another category. Remember and record.
- Keep going.
- Keep your victory log in an accessible place, so you can add to it whenever you do something else that makes you proud. Keep recording the big and the small. It’s all valuable.
- Review it from time to time to give yourself a boost!
Get the Free Victory Log Printable
If this sounds like something you’d like to do (and I hope it does, because it’s so motivating!), feel free to use this free victory log printable I made.
There are three pages:
- One has different categories to help you think through your different victories.
- Another has blank categories for you to fill in
- Another has no categories
The download will give you all three, but you can print the format that appeals the most to you. (The watermark you see is only for this page; it won’t show up on your download.)
Just fill out the form, and the download will be sent to your inbox!
