My doctor told me that I do not give myself enough credit. I tried to brush off the comment, but I did not fully understand why she said it. I have been thinking about it quite a lot. My first response was to question why I need to give myself credit. I am literally just living my life and doing the best I can—using the strength God has given me. I decided to write this post to not only help me sort out this thought, but possibly help others who may be overlooking their own accomplishments—big and small.
When I think about the past several months, I have had to make difficult choices. I have dealt with financial struggles, yet I have found ways to keep going. I have restarted therapy despite the obstacles. I have taken steps to improve my situation, even when it has not been easy. I have been creative, resourceful, and persistent. If someone else were in my position, I would probably recognize their effort. I would tell them they are doing their best and keep working hard. It really is no different than what I say to myself! However, I typically have this conversation internally—it is what keeps me going.
Give Yourself the Credit You Deserve
Many people struggle to see their own progress because they are too focused on what they believe they should be doing instead of recognizing what they are doing. Here are some questions to ask yourself if you are struggling with some aspect of your life. Do you minimize your accomplishments? Do you dismiss compliments or tell yourself that what you did was not that impressive? When something goes right, do you attribute it to luck, someone else’s help, or just meeting basic expectations? If so, you are not alone.
You may not realize it, but you accomplish more than you give yourself credit for. Every day, you make decisions, push through challenges, and handle responsibilities that others might not even notice. You focus on what still needs to be done, what could have been better, or how someone else might have done more. You rarely pause to acknowledge how much effort you put in. It is time to give yourself credit.
Giving yourself credit does not mean ignoring areas where you can improve. It does not mean inflating your achievements or thinking you are better than others. It means acknowledging your own efforts, recognizing your growth, and understanding that the things you do matter. Allow yourself to feel good about what you have done. It is easy to dismiss your own struggles because you are used to them. But if you step back and look at your life as if you were an outsider, you might see a different picture. You might see someone who keeps trying, even when things are difficult. You might see someone who helps others, even when they have their own struggles. You might see someone who has overcome more than they give themselves credit for.
Start noticing the things you do well. It can be small—getting out of bed on a hard day, following through on something even when you did not feel like it, or making a difficult decision. Write it down if you need to. Recognize the effort it takes to keep going. Your progress matters, even if it does not always feel significant. No one else knows what it takes for you to do what you do. But you do. And that is why you deserve to give yourself credit. It is about seeing yourself with the same understanding and encouragement that you would give to someone else in your position.
Why Giving Yourself Credit is Important
If you do not give yourself credit, you risk constantly feeling like you are never doing enough. When you overlook your own efforts, it can lead to burnout, low self-worth, and a cycle of always striving but never feeling satisfied. You might achieve goals, overcome challenges, or help others, but if you dismiss your own role in those things, you will always feel like you are falling short.
Giving yourself credit is important because it helps you build self-trust. When you acknowledge what you have done, you reinforce the belief that you are capable of handling future challenges. It is not just about feeling good in the moment—it creates a mindset that helps you push through difficulties with more confidence.
It also helps with motivation. If you never acknowledge your progress, everything can feel like an uphill battle with no sense of achievement. But when you recognize what you have already done, it reminds you that you are moving forward, even if it is at a slower pace than you would like. When you accomplish something, no matter how small, you were the one who made it happen. You made the decision to try. You put in the effort. You overcame the challenges, even if it felt like just another part of life.
Lastly, giving yourself credit helps you develop a healthier relationship with yourself. If you are always dismissing your own achievements, you are reinforcing a negative self-perception. But when you take a moment to acknowledge your own effort, you are practicing self-respect. You are treating yourself the way you would treat a friend—recognizing hard work instead of tearing yourself down.
Every Win Deserves Credit
If you already give yourself credit, you might wonder what more there is to it. It is not just about recognizing accomplishments, but also about valuing the process behind them. It means understanding that your efforts, resilience, and problem-solving skills matter just as much as the results. It is about allowing yourself to feel proud—not just when something goes perfectly, but also when you have made progress, learned something new, or kept going despite challenges.
One important part of giving yourself credit is letting go of the idea that something has to be extraordinary to be worth acknowledging. Many people only count "big wins" while ignoring the daily actions that lead to them. But real growth happens in the in-between moments—the decisions you make when no one is watching, the persistence you show when things feel overwhelming, and the small victories that build over time.
It is also about trusting yourself. When you give yourself credit, you reinforce the belief that you are capable. That means when the next challenge comes, you are more likely to approach it with confidence rather than doubt. You do not have to wait for someone else to validate your progress. You can recognize it yourself.
Conclusion
Giving yourself credit is about acknowledging that what you do matters, even if it does not feel like a big deal. You do not need to achieve perfection to be worthy of recognition. You have already done more than you realize, and the fact that you are still trying, still learning, and still moving forward is reason enough to give yourself credit.
If you do not give yourself credit, no one else can do it for you in a way that will truly change how you feel about yourself. Recognizing your own efforts does not mean you stop growing—it means you acknowledge that you are growing. It reminds you that you have overcome challenges before and that you can keep going. It allows you to see yourself as someone who is strong, capable, and worthy of respect—even from yourself.
Psalm 37:23-24 "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand."
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