A fiftieth wedding anniversary, a funeral, a 92nd birthday, as well my own birthday all occurred within a week.
Even in death, alongside the grief, there is reason to celebrate. And that we did.
No matter where you look celebration is a common form of history. Every culture has its traditions and rituals, big and small. While many celebrations are predicated by the calendar, many are not.
All too often we move through life focused on the next goal and neglect to stop and reflect on the individual milestones worth celebrating. Minimizing accomplishments does nothing to strengthen our personal power or our communities.
Celebrating others is important too. Every achievement has significance with a deserving person or team behind it. Parades aren’t always required. Acknowledgment can be a simple pat on the back. It’s the acknowledgment that’s most important.
I find clients almost always minimize or negate their wins as they focus more on what was not achieved. No matter how big and/or distant the ultimate goal might be it’s the small wins that get you there over time. They’re worth acknowledging. The glory of recognizing even a tiny improvement is motivating and begets more success.
What small or large personal milestones are you due to recognize? I’m not asking which of these things are you doing well 100% of the time. That’s not likely. Consider small improvements as wins.
Are you:
1. getting to bed earlier?
2. handling stress better?
3. asking for and/or accepting support?
4. eating for physical vs emotional hunger?
5. moving your body more?
6. feeling stronger?
7. accepting yourself at any size?
8. no longer weighing yourself constantly?
9. eating smaller portions?
10. eating more vegetables?
11. packing a lunch more often?
12. cooking at home more often?
13. drinking more water and less sugary drinks?
14. teaching people how to treat you?
15. becoming more resilient?
Now how would you like to celebrate your success?
Food and drink are a part of celebrations everywhere, but be careful about undoing your hard-earned accomplishments if weight loss is your goal. (Everything in moderation. It just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention this sober advice.)
Maybe you can get creative about other rewards that are also suitable, like: a new book, fresh flowers, hiring a service or attending an event.
Let the reward be commensurate with the accomplishment. Remember, it’s the acknowledgment that’s most important. The rest are details.
Another way to celebrate your success is to tell someone. Shout it from the rooftop, post it to social media or tell a friend and drink in the endorsement that follows.
I’m thinking ahead about the details of my next significant birthday. A parade might be just the thing. Formality is fine, but having fun is more fitting.