Step 2 to Your Success - Enjoy! of The IMAGE Success System

This is the second article of a seven part article series on The IMAGE Success System. If you missed Step 1 - Imagine, please revisit it and make sure you have followed the instructions. Step #2 is the best part of The IMAGE Success System - we get to Enjoy a lot.

Success Step 2: Write Down What You Enjoy!

This really shouldn't take too much time, should it? But just in case, we want these things written down and in front of you. It really is incentive for you to accomplish the already relatively easy steps of The IMAGE Success System. We get to celebrate every step of the way!

The reason we have to make this a success step is so that you make sure to make the time to actually Enjoy! It is also a perfect exercise in setting boundaries. So often we do not take care of ourselves because we are too busy taking care of others. We are also so busy letting others take over our time that we don't have any boundaries - and it shows in our happiness of everything. That needs to stop now. Your success and happiness is directly related to your ability to Enjoy. Give yourself permission to Enjoy every time you accomplish something!

So let's think of what you Enjoy and write it down. Enjoyment should be relative to the task we've accomplished. Write down your Enjoy items and put them in two categories - one that is "almost free for me" and the other is "spa-like for me."

"Almost free" are things like taking the time to read a book, indulge in some ice cream, or maybe it is even making sure you go to the gym because that is something you never get to enjoy anymore. I have a friend that runs or works out every morning. No distractions from kids, husband or work. It is her Enjoy for everything that she does every day as a busy executive, mom and wife. An amazing example of great boundaries.

"Spa-like" are things like buying a new pair of shoes, getting a massage, going to a movie or a really nice quiet dinner with someone close. Maybe it's actually planning or taking a trip! Regardless, it costs more than $10. This is my favorite list as it is amazing incentive to accomplish big goals.

What constitutes an "almost free for me" item? Let's take doing the dishes as an example of something you've accomplished. You probably do it every day if you are a caretaker to someone. But you accomplished something that needed to get done. So, once you are done, you should be able to enjoy something - like a chocolate or a "time out" for 15 minutes to close your eyes and relax with no interruptions. My grandma actually used washing dishes as her timeout, so that may not be the best example for some. Other friends use cleaning as their timeout. Regardless, I think you get the picture, right? "Almost free for me" actions are relatively small, something that may take only a couple of hours, but are still accomplishments.

Write down your "almost free for me" Enjoy items. There should be around five of them - not too little but not too many. You don't want to become overwhelmed with choices.

A good example of a "spa-like for me" item is something bigger. For example, you finally got that report done that you've been working on for months. It's been signed, sealed and delivered. But because you've been working on it for so long, you have a million other things you need to do to catch up. Sound familiar? Well, those things have been waiting for months already so what is another couple of hours going to hurt? Absolutely nothing. And if someone says it will, then it should have gotten delegated to someone else. Am I right? Remember, you are a leader and leaders look at the big picture and delegate. But that is another issue. Back to Enjoying. It's time to enjoy a few hours for yourself, not only because you deserve it but because mentally, you actually need it.

Now write down your "spa-like for me" Enjoy items. Since "spa-like for me" items take a little longer to plan and are more expensive, they may change at least each quarter - so revisit this list again even if you haven't used the items. The only reason you haven't used the items, however, is because the movie is no longer in theaters or the restaurant received bad reviews. You may not have huge accomplishments each day, but my guess is that you will have them at least each month if not each quarter.

Okay, we've got our Enjoys written down. Now go and use an "almost free" from your list for this accomplishment. No excuses. Make it clear to others that this is YOUR time - however small of time that might be - and just do it!