A lot of the people we work with carry a running commentary about their own work. I should be doing better. I’m frustrated with how I’m working. Why can’t I just get things done like everyone else seems to? That commentary is shame, and shame doesn’t make anyone more productive. It makes starting harder.
Two things need to sit alongside each other here. One is self-compassion, actually understanding that differences in executive function are real and not a character failing. The other is recognition, noticing what you have genuinely achieved rather than only what’s left undone.
Celebrating small wins as part of the work
This is where celebrating small wins earns its place, not as a nice add-on but as something with a real function. If you’re time blocking your day, there’s a benefit that rarely gets mentioned: at the end of the day you can look back over the blocks and actually see what happened. All those things. Well done me.
That moment of recognition builds self-efficacy, which is simply your belief that you can do things. And that belief is what makes starting the next task easier. Shame keeps your attention fixed on the gap. Celebrating small wins turns your attention to the evidence that you’re capable, which is exactly what you need before you start something new.
We’ve written before about how imposter syndrome keeps your attention on what you haven’t done yet, and this is really the same pattern from another angle. If starting still feels like the hardest part, we’ve also written about how to overcome procrastination by making the next step small enough to actually begin.
If shame is the loudest voice in your working day, it’s worth having a proper conversation about it. That’s something we help clients work through in coaching.
Want to work through a real leadership challenge? Book a complimentary coaching session.
