When you’re working on changing your lifestyle, you often end up peeling away behaviors and things one by one that you used to use as rewards for yourself. (I’m not suggesting I believe that junk food is a healthy reward, but it’s something you might have thought of as a “treat” or “indulgence” and it may also have been the only “good” thing you did for yourself on any sort of consistent basis.)

So let me ask you this: What are you doing for yourself now when you accomplish something, get through a tough week, etc.? It might be that you want to buy a new outfit or put away money for something special down the line. It actually doesn’t matter what you choose, just that you do something to commemorate the fact that you rock! :)

At a minimum, I want to recommend that you sit back for just a moment when you’ve done something important and just recognize what you’ve accomplished. It’s SO easy to sell yourself short, and we’re often taught not to think positively about ourselves or express those sorts of emotions, but what’s wrong with being proud that you’ve managed to do something like change a habit, eat a full day or week or month’s meals that are very healthy, or whatever you choose to examine?

That inner voice inside your head may also try to tell you that what you’ve done isn’t “as great” as something someone else has done or that you’ve done at other times. But every time you listen to that mind chatter, it keeps you from enjoying the moment.

So if you haven’t lately, here’s my personal invitation to you to think about what you’ve managed to do lately and do something nice for yourself. Doesn’t matter what it is if it’s healthy. And all you might need to do is just acknowledge your accomplishments to yourself (no small feat). Even if it feels funny at first, just do it anyway. It’s good for you in ways you might not yet be able to fathom.