How can you give yourself positive feedback?

1 Identify your goals

Before you can give yourself positive feedback, you need to know what you are working towards and why. Having clear and realistic goals will help you measure your performance, track your progress, and appreciate your efforts. Write down your goals and break them down into smaller and specific steps. For each step, define what success looks like and how you will know when you have achieved it. This will help you focus on your actions and outcomes, rather than on your feelings or opinions.

2 Use the sandwich method

The sandwich method is a popular technique for giving constructive feedback to others, but it can also be applied to yourself. The idea is to sandwich a negative or critical comment between two positive or supportive ones. This way, you can acknowledge your areas of improvement without undermining your confidence or self-esteem. For example, if you are working on a presentation, you could say to yourself: "You did a great job researching the topic and organizing the information. You need to work on your eye contact and voice projection. You have a clear and engaging style and a strong conclusion."

3 Be specific and balanced

When giving yourself positive feedback, avoid vague and general statements that do not reflect your actual performance or behavior. Instead, be specific and use concrete examples to illustrate your achievements and challenges. For example, instead of saying "You are a good leader", say "You led the team meeting effectively by setting the agenda, facilitating the discussion, and delegating the tasks." Also, be balanced and avoid exaggerating or minimizing your feedback. Recognize both your strengths and weaknesses, and avoid using words like "always" or "never".

4 Write it down

One of the best ways to give yourself positive feedback is to write it down. Writing down your feedback can help you process and internalize it better, as well as create a record of your accomplishments and learnings. You can use a journal, a notebook, or an app to write down your feedback regularly. You can also use different formats, such as bullet points, sentences, or letters. The important thing is to make it a habit and to review your feedback periodically to see how far you have come and what you can improve.

5 Share it with others

Another way to give yourself positive feedback is to share it with others who can support and celebrate you. Sharing your feedback with others can help you validate and reinforce it, as well as get additional perspectives and insights. You can share your feedback with your friends, family, colleagues, mentors, or coaches. You can also join online communities or groups that are related to your goals or interests, and exchange feedback with like-minded people. However, be careful not to rely too much on external feedback, and remember that your own feedback is the most important.

6 Reward yourself

Finally, giving yourself positive feedback is not complete without rewarding yourself for your hard work and achievements. Rewarding yourself can help you reinforce your positive feedback, as well as motivate and energize you for your next steps. You can reward yourself in different ways, depending on your preferences and resources. You can reward yourself with something tangible, such as a gift, a treat, or a trip. You can also reward yourself with something intangible, such as a compliment, a gratitude note, or a break. The important thing is to make it meaningful and enjoyable for you.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?