THE AUTUMN WRAP UP BLOG SERIES - Part 3 - Savour

3 Ways To Savour Your Wins

During your own Autumn Wrap Up, it is especially beneficial to go through the months and reflect on your specific wins. Recently my son won his first Tae Kwon Doe tournament as a newer white belt student. He was up against many other students with higher belts including those about to receive their black belts. The black belt is an accomplishment requiring many years of physical and mental training. Leadership and personal development skills like respect, concentration and building strength of self can be explored by committing to this path.

Before the tournament my son, Damon said, "Mommy I feel nervous because I think I can win the tournament." I was impressed with his sharing. He is 12 years old with a very strong sense of self. I responded with encouragement knowing that to win it would take timing down to the mili second against the other higher belts. I showed support by photographing all of the jumps that lead up to the winning one, acting as if I knew he would win. Even though inside I was a little nervous too, because of his lack of experience. But jump after jump, he slowly beat out all of the competitors, to the applause of the audience of families watching. As the bar rose he had to move his body much differently each time to maintain momentum. In the picture below you can see how his hands are held high for balance, as his movement becomes a fluid step over the bar.

The Winning Jump Takes Timing: Acknowledge that wins do take timing as well as time to create. Maintaining the mental stamina when the under pressure of an "just about to win" can be handled with many strategies. Believing that the win is going to happen is a great one. Taking deep breathes to de-stress relaxes the brain, allowing for clear thoughts also gives you to think with more clarity. The power of the breath to relax is a highly underrated form of self care. Savouring the win, as well as the work it took to the acquire it, is also a relevant practice. Appreciate that the timing it takes for a win to take place is based on your personal performance.

Accept Your Win Gratitude & Respect: In the first slide above, my son is bowing as he receives his first place plaque. After the customary hand shake from his teachers he was glowing with accomplishment. It was amazing to see because he had never enjoyed team sports and had finally found something he was really good at. It was also the first time his fellow students got to acknowledge him with high fives. We should absolutely take the time to reflect with respectful gratitude on such happy moments!

Savouring Boosts Self Esteem: Damon said, "Mommm..." in mild annoyance as I said, "my son won the tournament" repeatedly with "healthy goofy Mom pride". Letting him know that I was happy about his win also is a great self esteem boosting strategy. I sometimes have to remind him about my background in Early Childhood Development which also emphasizes my recommendation to continually and creatively encourage children. I was modelling savouring "our" win, so that he can too as he grows.

Try It: What about your personal wins? What about your family members? I suggest sitting down before resolution time and writing down specific wins for each month of the past year. Savour how each win made you feel. Journal your positive feelings about each one. Further anchor these thoughts by going back and highlighting, the key words and phrases that make you feel a buzz of self accomplishment.