If we’re being kind to ourselves, and why wouldn’t we? we should, in truth, run a stocktake at the end of every week. One of the keys to doing that is to have a system that requires no thinking but plenty of feeling.

We’re all guilty of over-thinking ourselves and almost everything else in our lives, including the cat’s behaviour (why does she keep throwing up? Vet says there’s nothing wrong with her!). Which is why we so often find ourselves stuck. In our lives and in our business; if you have one. Letting Go , written a short time ago, expands on the idea.

It’s always good to acknowledge what we have achieved, throughout our lives or even just this morning. Getting out of bed may have been a real challenge. We must congratulate ourselves and celebrate! This is not something most of us are prone to do … in fact, we often reach 50 (or even way beyond), never having admitted to our own brilliance!

How to begin your stocktake:

Include only the things that happen during the week that are meaningful to just you …nobody else. There are probably few people who need to know your newly developed passion for Baked Beans on toast.

Perfect in an imperfect world. … it will help you to reverse your thought patterns by becoming intent on what you have … not what you want!

If you’re like me and have a touch of OCD when it comes to making lists, this is the best! A stocktake is basically a list of all the achievements and successes in your life in the past … 10, 20, 30, 40 or even 50 years. Be honest … and ignore your brain chatter.

You know what I mean. It’s the constant self-talk … “You’ve done nothing”, “you haven’t achieved anything”, “you haven’t accomplished what your best friend (sister, mother, classmates, friends, cat) have accomplished.”

Let’s not forget “You’re a waste of space.” “I’m dumb”, “I’m fat”, “I’m ugly”, and this really is why a stocktake is so difficult for many of us …

“How can I possibly have lived this long and done nothing”? You ask. The answer is simple … you can’t! So please, get a grip …

Walking is always a good way to start the process … your mind feels free to wander, and you can go with it … mental freedom is a key stocktake ingredient.

Write anything; a letter, an article, a book

Talk to yourself … my personal favourite … it’s surprising what you learn when you’re not hemmed in by the words of others!

Creating your first stocktake list is not an overnight task … how many years do you have to catch up on?!

Low self-esteem keeps us toeing the line and living for everybody else. An honest, realistic stocktake will help you take the time to realise how much more you are than you think.

It’s odd that we have to reach a certain age before we can start building the bridge that will finally stop our poor self-esteem controlling our lives.

Your greatest relationship ever, is the one you have with yourself … unfortunately we don’t seem to understand this until reaching a certain age, whatever a certain age may be to you.

We are our own greatest friend and greatest enemy.

Start your stocktake today!