Do you tend to think that your achievements are actually due to a stroke of luck or some other external factor? Do you usually value what other people achieve, but when it comes to your own successes it seems more difficult? Does it make you uncomfortable to think repeatedly that you don’t deserve some of the things in your life?
If you answered yes, we invite you to stay and continue reading. Some people have difficulties valuing their own achievements and this has a strong impact on the different areas of their life.
In this article we will see, briefly, what we mean by “valuing our achievements.” In addition, we will address the causes that may cause this difficulty, as well as talk about the possible consequences that may arise. Finally, we propose some strategies that may be useful to start changing.
What does it mean to give value to one’s own achievements?
As logical as it may seem, we consider it important to highlight the following aspect. When we talk about valuing our own achievements we refer to being able to recognize ourselves and appreciate the objectives and goals we have achieved.
In this sense, it is important to highlight that the progress we make during the day is also important. Sometimes, some people tend to value only the “greatest successes” and this can end up generating emotional discomfort.
Acknowledging everything we achieve every day, valuing our efforts, has multiple benefits on a psychological and emotional level. Increases the feeling of personal satisfaction and generally contributes to maintaining motivation and persistence. Furthermore, it is usually a driving force to continue knowing ourselves and developing ourselves on a personal level or in any other sphere of life.
Why don’t we value our achievements?
One of the main aspects to keep in mind is that we live in a society in which the standards related to productivity and success are, on many occasions, poorly adjusted to reality. In addition, Competitiveness and comparison with other people are greatly enhanced and this can make it difficult for us to value our own achievements.
At an individual level, there are many factors that may be interfering in the fact that a person has difficulties valuing their own achievements. It is essential that each person does the necessary introspection to be able to understand what theirs are specifically since this will also be important when generating strategies to change.
Below are some of the main aspects that have been observed repeatedly and that are usually related to these personal difficulties:
The imposter syndrome
When talking about the difficulty in recognizing and valuing one’s own achievements, it is easy to come up with the concept of “imposter syndrome.” Although it is not considered a mental health disorder, it has gained importance in the field in recent times due to the high emotional discomfort it generates in people who suffer from it.
This term refers to the difficulty that some people feel in valuing their own achievements, along with the constant fear of being “discovered” and exposed as frauds or impostors.
It is related to factors such as constant doubts regarding one’s own abilities, basing success on luck or external factors, the presence of high perfectionism, fear of failure and not being up to par and, of course, feeling like a fraud and having fear that other people will notice and expose him.
Consequences of not valuing our achievements
Not valuing our own achievements can have a strong impact on our lives. On the one hand, it can deteriorate and reduce crucial aspects of our emotional well-being such as self-concept and self-esteem. In addition, it is likely that other aspects such as motivation and even productivity will also end up deteriorating.
The consequences that occur on an emotional level in people can affect different areas of a person’s life. The difficulties produced can trigger psychological symptoms and even physical health problems can develop.
Taking all this into account, we can see that the consequences can generate a serious negative impact that ranges from the most personal to the academic or work sphere and, of course, also the relational one. Not being able to give ourselves the value we deserve can interfere with the way we feel our environment perceives us.
Strategies to start valuing our achievements
The strategies that can be useful to begin to value our achievements may vary depending on each person since, as we have seen previously, the reasons that generate this difficulty also vary. In this sense, self-knowledge, the capacity for self-observation and reflection are essential.
If you are going through this type of problem and feel that the discomfort is overwhelming you, we encourage you to ask for help from a specialized professional. Some of the proposals are briefly mentioned below:
