Happy New Year!
This is the time of year many people sit down and draft their goals for the year. I do that too!
But before I do, I spend some time reflecting on my wins from the previous year by creating a “Wins Wall” for myself and my photography business.
I recently led my Sandra Coan Certification community in this exercise and they loved it, so I’m sharing it with you as well!
What is a Wins Wall?
A wins wall is a huge list of all your accomplishments, big or small, that you write out on a large piece of paper and hang on your wall so that you can see it and celebrate it!
If you don’t have space, or prefer a little privacy, you can also use a journal to document your wins.
Why Celebrating Wins Matters
According to research, an estimated 70% of the population struggles with confidence, in the form of Imposter Syndrome at some point in their lives. But it tends to run highest among women, minorities, and high achievers, like entrepreneurs, and creatives!
Imposter Syndrome is one of the biggest reasons why people self sabotage and play small.
I’ve seen it keep super talented photographers from marketing their business, sharing their work, charging a profitable wage, and setting healthy boundaries in their business.
Helping photographers kick Imposter Syndrome to the curb is a huge passion of mine, and one of the things I help the photographers I mentor inside of Sandra Coan Certification overcome.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome requires building confidence. And there are a lot of ways to do this.
Improving your technical skill.
Getting constructive feedback and critique.
Surround yourself with other ambitious and supportive people.
Earning a professional credential.
All the things I teach inside of my photography certification program help with confidence!
But another great way to gain confidence is by tracking your wins.
How Tracking Your Wins Builds Confidence
Noticing all the steps you are taking to improve yourself, your art and your business helps build and reinforce your belief in yourself.
It reminds you of the challenges you’ve overcome and the skills you’ve developed. And it gives your brain actual facts to focus on instead of the fabricated fears that Imposter Syndrome is made of.
And that Combats Negative Self Talk
Keeping a record of your achievements, gives you tangible evidence of your skills and successes.
So when those negative thoughts pop up, you can tell them to shut their dirty mouth, and give your brain something else to focus on instead
It Serves as a Reality Check
Imposter syndrome can distort your perception of reality, causing you to downplay your achievements.
Keeping track of your successes provides a concrete and objective reality check. It reminds you that you have indeed accomplished things and have a lot to be proud of!
Celebrates the Progress
Learning the skills, making the improvements, earning the certification are all big accomplishments!
But this is also a power in celebrating the journey to those things.
It’s easy to overlook progress when you’re focused on the next goal.
Creating a wins wall, or wins journal; actually writing down your accomplishments, big and small, helps you celebrate the milestones, and that contributes to a positive mindset and helps combat the feelings associated with Imposter Syndrome.
It will also keep you from down playing your success. Which we all tend to do.
So spend some time today reflecting on your wins. Write them down! And take the time to celebrate all that you have done.
Learn How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
And if you’d like to learn more about how to overcome Imposter Syndrome (and build your business in the process), follow this link to sign up for my free training!
See you there!
