Do you give yourself credit for everything that goes into your montage moment?

When you’re just starting out on your adventure a lot is going on. You have answered the call and are doing something new, so you have to learn the rules of this new world. As you’re learning you will be tested. It won’t be all bad though because you’ll have a chance to meet new friends. But where there are friends, you’ll undoubtedly come face-to-face with enemies too.

In movies, this phase may often be encapsulated in a movie montage with an epic score. All the hard work that goes into the training, learning the rules, testing, meeting new people, or even facing enemies is wrapped up into a tidy package that is glorious.

But the montage is compressed… months or years of work are squeezed into minutes.

You don’t feel the aches and pains, the joy and fear, the sleepless nights. There’s just no way to encapsulate all the learning, the trying and failing. But you have to go through it. And the funny thing is, when you look back, your memory does the same thing. It creates a montage that wraps up all the hard work you do and makes it seem like it was easier than it was.

I want you to stop and give yourself credit for what you’ve done on your quest. It’s important to reflect on your progress, to learn from your actions, and to give yourself credit for the little things because without them you would get nowhere.

Here are some thoughts for you to reflect on:

• What have you learned in this time?
• How have you leveled up one or more skills?
• In what ways have you been more consistent about doing something?
• What is routine for you now that is something you weren’t doing before?
• When were you tested along this quest?
• How did you fair during your tests?
• What helped you while you were facing your tests?
• Who have you met on this journey?
• Do you have mentors you look to for inspiration to keep you going?
• Do you have any allies that have made a difference for you on this path?
• Are there any villains you’ve met?
• How did you handle your encounter with your first villain?
• What will you do differently the next time you encounter a villain?
• What was the worst part of your preparation?
• What was the best part of your practice?
• How was your training a good experience for you?

What are your favorite reflection questions?