Amidst the duties we do to fulfill our passion, the roles we take to suffice society, and the responsibilities we acquire along the way, there is one thought that always arises in our head: Am I not doing enough?
There are some days when we look at the progress we have made till now and question whether we have done enough. There are some days we look at the great distance that is present between us and our goals and question if we have done enough. There are some days we compare ourselves to others who have reached heights in a shorter time and question if we have done enough. There are some days we look at what we have accomplished so far and question if we have done enough. There are also some days when we do not receive the expected amount of appreciation for our efforts and hard work and question if we have done enough.
Since a young age, we have been programmed to think in this manner. We were taught to think about how to “improve” ourselves, see what we could have done “better,” and what is the “next step” after completing one task. We were wired to drive ourselves towards perfection, grow constantly in every facet of our lives, and work as much as our bodies can take for many reasons ranging from academic validation to creating a stable and happy life.
I am sure we all have questions such as “Where did the remaining ten marks go?”, “You can work hard now so you can be happy in life later.”, “ Look at Sharma Ji’s son” and “You have the potential to perform better though” from many people in our lives.
However, we have not been taught to be happy about completing a task, to appreciate ourselves for the efforts we put in, to take a break and rejuvenate ourselves, and to believe in our efforts and work. We do not have the habit of being satisfied with ourselves; instead, we are hard on ourselves more easily. We are all amazing human beings who have accomplished a lot in our lives, worked relentlessly to be where we are today and deserve to be satisfied and happy about it. So, the next time we find ourselves asking the question “Am I not doing enough?” we can choose to respond to ourselves in the following way:
Take a moment and celebrate all your accomplishments, whether small or big.
Value your hard work and effort by giving yourself credit for the progress you have made and the obstacles you have overcome.
Take breaks when required and rejuvenate yourself.
Trust your abilities and skills.
Do not compare yourself to others. Everyone’s journey is unique in their way.
Your self-worth should be more dependent on internal rather than external validation.
Being content and satisfied with our progress is a significant part of personal growth and happiness.
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