It’s time to bask in the realization that you are truly more accomplished than you realized.
To see if your feelings about your accomplishments have changed as a result of reading this book, go back to the pre-test from the beginning of the book. If you’ve not only read this book but begun to implement its ideas, you should be able to answer “true” to most of these statements. If not, consider reviewing critical elements of accomplishments.
Applying what you’ve learned about yourself
Let’s look at the unlikely scenario that, even after reading this book and applying its tools, you still feel you you have had minimal accomplishments. The lesson is to start accomplishing! One way, as we saw in Chapter 8, is to set goals for yourself. Chris Strom writes about setting a goal to write a blog post every day for a year. Not only did he have the satisfaction of achieving this accomplishment, but his blog posts generated three books!
Taking pride in your accomplishments
It’s time to start thinking of yourself as an accomplished person. Even if you’re not satisfied with the roster of accomplishments you’ve mined as a result of this book, know that you are accomplished because everyone is accomplished. Everyone makes a difference in the lives of others.
This book has focused on accomplishments that are somewhat recent. You may find it interesting and eye-opening to go back to your early life and recall accomplishments. Can you remember any achievements before the age of 5? The age of 10? Accomplishments from elementary school, middle school, high school? Successes from Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H, or other youth organizations? Early sports achievements? Reviewing early achievements can reveal interesting patterns, perhaps indicating activities you truly enjoyed and excelled at. Perhaps you’ve lost threads from your early years that you’d like to pick up now.
Best of all, though, you can look back at those early years and take pride in the fact that you’ve always been a person of accomplishment. “We’ve been accomplishing things all our lives,” writes Peggy Klaus. “Since taking our first breath, we haven’t stopped. We each have a history of hundreds, if not thousands, of successes that make us memorable.”
Leveraging your accomplishments: What’s next for you as an accomplished individual?
How will you apply your newly discovered knowledge of your own accomplishments? This book’s strong focus on career, job-search, and workplace accomplishments should certainly light a path toward leveraging your accomplishments the next time you search for a job, keep your boss updated on your projects, undergo a performance review, or ask for a raise or promotion.
If you are regularly tracking your accomplishments, you will be well prepared if you should unexpectedly find yourself unemployed. You’ll be able to quickly update your resume and will be well-equipped for even the most grueling interview questions.
Many other doors open up to you, as well, from developing a deep understanding of your successes. You are better prepared to go back to school or start your own business.
Perhaps most importantly, you have established a baseline for setting future goals and accomplishing what you really want to in life.
What will you do next as a person of accomplishment?