December 12, 2017 by Dymphna

Truth Bomb Tuesday: Stop At The Top Moment

Make time for this one ritual this December.

There’s a particular brand of Aussie madness.

It’s that end of year rush. I was talking to a Canadian woman about what this time of year is like for her, and she was saying it’s mostly pretty chill.

They don’t do all that much. They’re chop some wood, decorate a tree, cook up some yummy food for Christmas, make egg nog etc.

But generally, it’s a pretty low-key time of year.

Now I don’t know about you, but December always seems to be the most manic time of year.

It feels like the final twenty minutes at the Library or something. Like everyone is scrambling to get what they need to get done, before the year closes and locks it’s doors.

And everyone from mortgage brokers to builders – they’re all getting frantic calls from their clients wondering if they’re application is going to go through or if the toilet will be finished in time for Christmas lunch.

So, we’re a bit unlucky in the antipodes. That our big summer break coincides with the year ticking over and everything that means.

So in the midst of all this craziness, let me suggest one thing. Find time for your stop at the top moment.

“Stop at the top.” I think this expression comes from mountaineers. Like you climb to the top of a mountain, and once you get there, you don’t just turn around and walk back down. You stop. You stop at the top. You take a moment to appreciate the view, everything you’ve achieved, have a brandy and nibble on some trail mix.

So don’t forget this. This is important.

And don’t push it out til your holidays. When you log off, log off. Give your family and your relaxation the fullness of your attention.

This stop at the top moment should be part of your work process. It should be part of your working year.

And don’t make it a purely intellectual exercise.

Don’t just rush out a list and then file it away.

Take the time to feel into it. Remember what every achievement this year felt like. Recall the emotional journey of it.

Remember how you set yourself the goal and why you chose it.

Remember how confident you felt about the goal when you set it.

Remember all the challenges that came your way once you started working towards it.

Remember those times when the hard yards became fun yards – where you felt inspired and powerful and when everything you touched turned to gold.

And remember when the hard yards became no yards. Where everything seemed to be falling to pieces, and everything you touched turned to egg-nog.

Then finally remember what it felt like to prevail, to achieve what you set out to achieve. Remember how proud you felt, and how it took you one step closer to your ultimate goals.

And as much as you can, feel in to these memories.

Now, why am I telling you to feel into it?

Well, this process serves two functions. First, it helps rewrite your story.

If you’ve never thought you were much of an achiever, giving weight to the things you have achieved is a great way to rewrite that story.

We naturally tend to focus more on our failures than our successes, and it’s important to address this imbalance if we want to start believing in ourselves and make success a habit.

We need to be holding a personal story that we are successful people who often set themselves goals, and achieve them.

The ledger on which this story must be written is the body. It must become as deep as instinct if we are to successfully reprogram ourselves.

Second, we need to thank all our staff at this time of year. And the most important person you have working for you is you.

So don’t just gloss over it with a quick, thanks mate, as you’re heading out to the Christmas party.

Honour yourself, and all the sacrifices you’ve made, by honouring the journey. And through the celebration of the story, lead yourself into a deep gratitude for your own energies and your own sacrifices.

(Think about doing something nice for yourself.)

And so in that spirit, I’d like to thank all my staff and every member of the ILRE community for all the energy they’ve brought this year.

I am constantly humbled and grateful.

Keep up the great work.

How do you express your gratitude for yourself?