Are you proud of yourself? If not, then it is time to BE proud of yourself!
It might be a struggle at first if you are not used to it, but once you start to feel the undeniable importance of being proud of yourself, the change will be worth it.
HOW TO BE PROUD OF YOURSELF: START LOVING YOU, FOR YOU!
What does it mean to be proud of yourself?
Being proud of yourself means you see yourself as a valuable human being that deserves self-love, self-care, and self-respect. People who are proud of themselves tend to see life as full of happiness and possibilities, thanks to their increased sense of self-worth.
Why is it so important to be proud of yourself?
Being proud of yourself is one of the building blocks of healthy confidence. When you intentionally give yourself credit where it’s due, you allowing your confidence to grow and flourish. It can even help you to trust yourself more, which improves your performance in various life situations.
Healthy self-appreciation is also an important part of your self-motivation system. If you’re constantly trying to reach new goals, and never congratulate yourself for small achievements, you are depriving yourself of the most beautiful things in life – self-love, joy, and empowerment. Who knows what you could achieve by simply starting to feel your self-worth! That simple confidence boost that comes with being proud of yourself can be the only thing that stops you from being amazing.
If you want a gentle place to start, a self-love workbook with small daily exercises can help you practice giving yourself credit.
But is it OK to be proud of yourself?
Definitely, yes! To be proud of yourself doesn’t mean you have to be arrogant, disdainful, haughty, or insolent… Most people confuse these concepts. They think that being proud of themselves means bragging about their talents and achievements to others and trying to show them that they are superior. However, this is definitely not what being proud of yourself means!
- First, you don’t have to tell the world about how great you are BUT you shouldn’t degrade yourself in front of them either.
- Second, if you are proud of yourself, it is for you only. It makes you feel more worthy and confident, and you don’t really need to show it to others. It’s enough for you to know it.
How to be proud of yourself – 4 steps to self-worth and peace
If you feel unhappy with the way you feel about yourself, and feel ready to start your journey to self-appreciation, here’s where you can start!
1) Be proud of yourself with appreciation
That’s right! To be proud of yourself, the first thing you need to learn is how to honestly appreciate yourself. How to allow yourself to be happy about your achievements and small victories – and it doesn’t even matter how small they are. It takes time and a little mental gymnastics at first, but it’s do-able.
You should be proud of yourself whenever you:
- make something happen;
- do something good for yourself or others;
- achieve a goal;
- finish a task, even the smallest one;
- and even when you learn from your own mistakes.
This is called a supportive mindset and it’s the first step to a healthy self-appreciation. Personally, I keep a running list of my past successes to look at when my confidence is low.
If you'd like a simple structure for this, The Five Minute Journal is a well-loved way to note your small wins every day.
2) Teach your mind to be proud of yourself
Practice makes perfect, and a healthy relationship with yourself is not an exception. To build a loving, confident relationship with yourself, you need to gently get used to it.
To learn to be proud of yourself is through positive, start practicing daily, self-assuring affirmations. You need to have positive statements in your mind whenever you start doubting yourself and think negatively – they can keep you moving forward.
Keeping a few affirmation cards where you'll see them, like on your mirror or desk, makes it easier to remember those words when doubt creeps in.
- Whenever you are feeling blue, tell yourself that you can do it, that you are doing your best, and that you are capable of much more.
- If you did something wrong, sit down and try to find a reason that led you to do it – and then learn from it. Everyone is human and bound to make mistakes… And even though a mistake is nothing to be proud of, fixating on it does not help as well. Learn from it, let it go, and keep practicing self-appreciation.
- Do not hang out with those negative, self-hating thoughts about the way look, how much you earn, where you live, and what your job is. You are doing great no matter what your current situation is. You’ve stayed alive till this day! Be grateful for it, and nurture the things you have right now, so you can grow and have more in the future.
3) Be proud of others too
You don’t want to be the one who just asks for praise and gives none. Be proud of others too – appreciate them on the little things they do, be joyful with them in their victories, and compliment them whenever they do something awesome. Being able to appreciate without jealousy indicates your maturity and inner balance. But most importantly… When you learn to be proud of others, it becomes a lot easier for you to be proud of yourself too.
I like having a box of blank thank-you cards at home, because a short handwritten note is such a sweet way to tell someone you're proud of them.
4) Be yourself
Don’t force yourself to be something you are not. Being proud of yourself doesn’t mean you have to be perfect – you must accept your flaws and embrace them because this is how you learn to love yourself the way you are.
Also, don’t think you have to be great at everything. It’s impossible! Give yourself some slack and remind yourself that you are enough, just the way you are. And if you feel like there’s space for improvement… Then you can do that, yet not because you need it, but because you want it.
If you need a fun, encouraging read, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero is a best-selling reminder that you're doing better than you think.
It is so liberating to be proud of yourself…
… Regardless of your flaws and mistakes. It is a great step towards a great future where you know who you are and how you can be better, without feeling inadequate or not good enough. There is nothing good in degrading yourself over and over again. Sooner or later, you will find out that it’s a lot more helpful to support and encourage yourself than to stay negative. Practice these tips. If they don’t work for you, keep looking and find your own, unique way to be proud of yourself. Then watch your confidence grow like never before – I’m rooting for you!
