What Have You Done?
What Have You Done Lately That You Are Proud Of?
I was wondering to myself the other day… what have I done lately that I am proud of? Sure there are the usual ongoing things like being a good husband, a good father, my daily work, and of course taking out the trash. However, I am talking about an accomplishment that is not in my usual routine, something that sets me apart from a major part of society. To be proud of an accomplishment I will assume I would have put a fair amount of time into it. I would also assume that if I shared the accomplishment with other people they too would agree that it was something I could be proud of. So with those three assumptions “What have you done lately that you are proud of?” If something comes to mind while you are reading this article, post it in the comments below. However, if you are still mulling that question around read on and maybe I can help you come up with something.
Daily Routine
Many times I can get so caught into my daily routine that months or even a year can go past without reevaluating what I am doing apart from my family and employment that makes a significant impact in a way I can be proud of. I am not talking about a boastful and arrogant proud, but instead a feeling of satisfaction in accomplishing something I set out to do to make a positive impact in the world. Then as I pondered the question, I began to realize that an accomplishment of significance does not necessarily have to be something I’ve never done before but instead why I do something. I could refocus the way in which I do something or reengineer the outcome of what I do and gain the same goal in accomplishing something I can be proud of. You may already be doing many things in your daily and weekly routine that could be proud accomplishments with just a little tweaking. Read on and I will explain how in just a short time you can have an endless list of things you’re doing daily that you can be proud of.
Hobbies and Activities
Most of us have hobbies and activities that are part of our normal routine that could easily be turned into something we could be proud of. For example, take training for a marathon. Every day you run there is satisfaction in that, right? When you complete the marathon there is satisfaction in that, right? Well, what if every day you ran you were actually running for an even bigger cause than the daily and finish line satisfactions? The steps to making that happen are below.
Maybe your activity is working out, playing softball, snowboarding, bike riding, taking your child for a walk, or even parachuting, all these and anything else can be turned into even something bigger and impact the world in a positive way. Let me show you how.
Take the Plunge
Here in Virginia Beach we have an annual event called the Polar Plunge where everyone raises pledges and then dives in the ocean (some only up to their ankles) to benefit Special Olympics. I have nothing against Special Olympics and really think they are a class act and great cause. Instead, what I am trying to explain here is the only activity you have to be willing to do is get your toes wet and you can raise money to help a great cause.
Now let’s say you figure out a great cause for which you would like to raise funds and awareness. Although there is no special event scheduled (or even if there is) you could create your own very easily. Take the running for example. Pick a Saturday, commit to running 10, 15 or more miles and contact everyone you know to pledge money toward the cause you want to support. If you have your own non profit (which is becoming very popular), you could raise donations for it. You can make a great opportunity out of an event of any kind, even the “Plunge” mentioned above and raise pledges for the Special Olympics and another cause simultaneously.
Proud As a Papa
Now back to the activities that are a part of your normal routine. Take any one of them, let’s take ironing shirts, and organize a shirt iron-off right at your own house or even better someplace more public. The pledges could be donated per shirt you iron. You could ask all your friends to bring their shirts that need to be ironed or even open it up to anyone that needs their shirts ironed. I believe you get the point, anything, including things you do in your daily routine can be reengineered into an accomplishment you can be proud of because you turned an ordinary event into something extraordinary.
Moms and Pops of Non Profits
You should take careful notes while reading this article. You can be raising donations for the non profit you watch over by doing just about anything. As a non profit you should take advantage of events that are already planned and organized in your area and make them into fundraisers for your organization as explained above. Just about any activity could raise money for your favorite charity even if the charity is not a charity that is officially recognized for the event. Why not raise money for your favorite charity through events that are already happening all around you.
So You Want to Be Proud?
Organizing even your routine activities (and yes it could be walking your daughter around the neighborhood, comment below if you need and explanation) around something you could be proud of does not have to be a daunting task. Doing so will give you a constant source of things that you can look back on and know you can be proud of. Then the next time you might have an instance to wonder if you have done anything lately that you are proud of you will have an endless list.
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