Celebrating Life’s Little Accomplishments

Tags

accomplishments, happiness, self-image

I recently celebrated a milestone.

As I was walking past Z’s pull-up bar perched on the door to his office, I grabbed on, jumped up, and held myself in a chin-hang….for the first.time.ever.

Now to all of you heavy lifters and cross-fitters this may seem like no big deal. But to me it signified the accomplishment of a task that has been plaguing me since childhood.

Gym Class Memories

(White hat in the center? That’s me.)

I feel as though gym class brings up awkward memories for lots of people. Seeing as how I was a dancer, not an athlete, I was never particularly confident in any type of sporting activity.

Remember those physical fitness tests we were forced to do every year?? Consisting of:

• sit-ups
• pull-ups/flexed arm hang
• shuttle run
• one-mile run
• v-sit reach

This “Presidents Physical Fitness Test” was started back in 1966 and aimed to recognize and award children who scored in the upper 15th percentile in the previous categories.

I was never one of those children. In fact, the physical fitness test was my arch nemesis. I already knew I wasn’t as athletic as my classmates who were on the soccer team. I already knew I wasn’t the slimmest girl in the room. This test put us head to head and engrained those ideas into my mind year after year.

The sit-ups I could get through, the v-sit and reach was a breeze (thanks to six dance classes a week), the shuttle run…was. But then there were the mile run and the pull ups. Neither of them I could do.

Every year I set a goal for myself to finish that mile run in under 10 minutes. Every year I failed. The impact that had on my self-esteem? Not so great.

Then there was the pull-ups or chin hang. My score was non-existent because I couldn’t do it at all. Not even hold myself up there for a single second. Once again, every year I stood in line watching the other girls hold themselves in a chin hang for a few seconds and go on their merry way. Every year  I would get up to that bar, grab on and just jump. Every year I would be embarrassed as my pitiful attempts earned me a zero.

Accomplishment

This is the reason why a random day here in November of 2013 has become so significant for me.

Even at 29 I still find myself struggling with the same self-esteem issues that my 5th grade self faced. I don’t run as fast as some of the other girls, I don’t lift weights as many days per week, I don’t eat as many vegetables, my skin isn’t as perfect. I remain my own harshest critic…

Despite all of these negative feelings that moment last week when I was holding myself up on that bar I couldn’t help but stop and smile and realize how far I’ve come.

I’m stronger now physically then I used to be. Now I’ve just got to get my mind on board…

I encourage you to take time to stop and celebrate all the little accomplishments and milestones in your life. However trivial or silly they may seem.

I want to know…

What is something awesome that you’ve accomplished recently?

Celebrate it/ brag about it! Now’s the time!