Remember to Celebrate
There is so much to celebrate. Spring is in the air. The snow is melting (if you live in one of those winter wonderlands). Buds are popping through the earth and the sun is shining more and more. I’ve been doing lots of celebrating myself lately! A few weeks ago I proudly put a copy of my completed book manuscript in an envelope to send to my editor to review. I’ve been working on it for nearly two years – since my youngest son was three months old. I wanted to share the coaching tools I use with my clients, with everyone.
It would have been so easy for me to put the manuscript in the envelope to my editor and to sit right back down at my computer to get crackin’ doing all the other work that is involved in the next steps of self-publishing the book. And, believe me, I had that impulse.
We are all conditioned to keep checking things off of our list, to keep plowing through – searching for that unattainable high we dream of when our list will be completely checked off, when we will be, finally, “done”. We rarely stop to celebrate what’s in the “now”.
I wanted to celebrate. I thought of the usual – going out to dinner with Ken, eating something sweet and delicious, etc. Nothing seemed quite right. So, I got quiet, took some breaths, tried on some different celebratory options and noticed the thoughts and images that floated through my mind. I got it! I made a plan to spend some time alone at the ocean where many of my dreams for the book were first imagined over 7 years ago. I’d bring a bottle of sparkling grape juice and a wine glass to toast myself.
No, my book is not published yet and there are many things left to do. But one thing is certain. There is much to celebrate right here, right now. And, celebrating it makes me feel good, smile a lot and feel that all the work ahead is even more exciting and doable.
So, during the next couple of weeks I invite you to celebrate all those big and little things that you do every day. The three tips below will help you to celebrate your life daily.
Celebrate Daily. Celebrations are not just for birthdays and anniversaries. There is something to celebrate in each and every day. It can be teeny tiny like making it to your desk at 9am like you planned. Or it can be big like finishing a book, a huge project, getting a promotion or quitting a lifeless job. All great causes to celebrate.
Post It Up. Create a structure to help you remember to take time to celebrate daily. Write “CELEBRATE” on 10 sticky notes and put them all over the place. (Then go celebrate that you put up those 10 sticky notes!)
Just Do It! There’s no right or wrong way to celebrate. You can celebrate something by simply noticing there is something to celebrate and smiling. You can celebrate by taking a deep, delicious breath or two. You can treat yourself to something special or do something that you love. Celebrate in any way that feels right to you in the moment. Smiling to yourself can be just as rewarding as planning a celebratory weekend getaway. It’s all about marking the moment(s) as special.
If nothing else maybe it will just get you to smile more.
Illustrations by Jordan Awan