Honoring Your Accomplishments

An old familiar sense of let down came over me as I clicked the publish button. This feeling has been growing each time a create a new page for any of my websites or blogs. And it occurred to me that something is missing,. "You need a way of honoring your accomplishments.", said that wee small voice in my head.

Working from home has so many rewards. You no longer have to deal with office politics. You can make your own schedule. There's no boss breathing down your neck to finish his project. You can do work you really love.

And working online from home has it's own set of perks. You are no longer limited to a tiny office cubicle but can reach out to the whole world. Everything you want or need for your business is right at your fingertips. You have the date, time, reminders for jobs to complete, email to communicate and a whole world available at the click of a mouse.

This morning as I wrote in my journal I wrote out the month, August. Usually a quick 8, 2, 09 gets the job done. But there comes a time when living in a digital, all numbers world, you forget to take the time to celebrate the little accomplishments or even to mourn the losses.

We go day after day working and living, producing and going about the business of our new found free life. It's so easy to forget to honor what has gone by and be grateful for what has been as well as give a little kiss of farewell to what we have given up.

Gratitude pages, Thank you pages and Evening Journals where you recall the day that has just passed are great tools for doing that. I learned about these journals of self expression from Julia Cameron author of The Artist's Way. She has many tips for honoring our true artistic nature.

Work at Home Can be Lonely Too

We give up the hustle and bustle of office work. And we no longer have to deal with office politics, grumpy bosses, disgruntled co-workers. We no longer have a boss breathing down our necks pushing us for a deadline.

But just the same we don't have the occasional reward of "Job well done!" I even remember one boss who would give out little certificates of accomplishment at the team meeting once a month as an incentive to encourage better work performance and good office morale.

What happens when you work at home? There is no boss to breath down your neck only your own internal boss. And there is no one to say thank you but you. Talk about taking full responsibility for your own life. That includes the rewards and the time for grief, the time to breath and the time to laugh.

Companionship is one that can be difficult to come by. All the people you used to hang out with at the water cooler are now hanging out with those you left behind and having lunch with their other work buddies. Oh you have friends you've met on line but it is hard to put a human feature on someone who is miles away, isn't it?

So what's the answer?

There are ways around this too. I have a friend who makes his living as a professional blogger. Slade writes for his site, Shift Your Spirits, on his laptop while at a local cafe. His articles carry that personal note you can relate to as he builds his articles around the people he talks to there.

Places like Barnes & Noble are connected with a cafe that you can read, commune with other readers and even work on your laptop while you have a cup of coffee or tea. After an hour there you will feel refreshed and reconnected with the world. And you could even come away with a whole list of article ideas for your web site.

Managing A Busy Schedule

My daughter, Mikki, runs a little hub of her own right from home. She started out following her passion and love of children with a site called Unique Parenting.com. The youngest of her four children decided one day she wanted to feed the homeless. Morgan came up with the idea for Morgan's Mobile Meals, because no one deserves to go hungry. This gave Mikki the idea to add another site to her group called A Better Family Business.

Now Mikki has kids ranging from 8 to 20 something. So her life is full of people and activities that keep her in the world of people. But how on earth does she manage the honoring of soul?

Once a week she makes a special trip to Star Bucks. You may have heard of them? They have a few little tables in a quiet atmosphere. It's the perfect place to sit and plan her week ahead. And best of all she gets to enjoy her favorite beverage away from that computer.

Myself, I like to walk in nature but even that can be an isolated adventure. Yet seeing people walk their dogs, ride bikes and occasionally horses keeps me in touch with the human side of things.

So whatever you choose, take time for honoring your accomplishments and maybe even get together with friends. Give yourself a routine that fits you. What makes you feel good about yourself? Give yourself a pat on the back. Job well done!