Celebrate the Courage to Try Before You See Results
When you’re going for your BIG Dream there’s a LOT of work that is done. But we rarely stop to celebrate the courage it takes to even TRY, let alone accomplish something. We’re too busy thinking about the next task and what else NEEDS to be done to acknowledge what we just accomplished…no matter how small.
This is your opportunity to stop and take a moment to think about all you’ve done in the past day, week, month, or year.
Recognize the Courage in Everyday Accomplishments
Start small…What did you accomplish today? Maybe it was:
Getting out of bed
Doing the laundry
Showing up at work
Finalizing that project
Each item deserves some kind of celebration. Just because it feels like nothing, doesn’t mean it is. Sometimes dragging yourself out of bed is the hardest and bravest thing to do! CELEBRATE that you did it!
I started learning this in my corporate career. One year I had the bright idea to track just how many things I did, so that I could bring it to my performance reviews. It was very enlightening. All the meetings, all the documents, all the projects.
I felt a little silly and overdramatic when I brought the book of accomplishments to the meeting. But my manager was duly impressed, and I got a nice little raise. I didn’t do anything more than I had the year before, I just had the courage to write it all down, advocate for myself, and show someone what I did.
That was an important lesson in bravery. Nothing got swept under the rug. All the extra-curricular things I did went on the list. All the work went on the list. All the conversations went on the list. And it not only shifted my manager’s view on what I did…it shifted MINE.
I still continue to write down everything I do and am truly amazed at the list each week. Some days are slow and skimpy, but I can always find ONE thing that took some chutzpah. Some days slide by with ease and are happily productive. And then there are those days that are SO FULL! Those days impress me by how much got done.
Celebrate Your Bravery, Even on the Hard Days
You’re going to have days that feel like nothing gets done. It feels like you have 100 plates thrown up in the air and you’re shifting brainwaves every other minute. The emotion of it all weighs you down. Write that down too. Those are the courageous heavy lifting days and if only one or two things get done, it’s enough!
It’s enough to celebrate! So do the Bootie Wiggle™, watch that Netflix show, have that dessert. DO SOMETHING that makes you smile and giggle just a little.
Did you speak up when it was uncomfortable? BOOTIE WIGGLE!
Did you try something new? Sing a silly song about it!
Did you invest in yourself somehow? Put on a Cap and Gown and strut down the hallway!
Did you admit what you truly wanted to yourself or someone else? Draw a picture of it and put it on the fridge!
Doing these little steps forward takes courage. Not everyone does them. But YOU DID! And by celebrating each step along the way, you reinforce your commitment and bravery to do the thing.
Celebrate the Courage to Try, Even When You Fail
And even if things don’t work out as expected, you fall flat on your face, or flop so epically people will write songs and plays about it for years to come … CELEBRATE that you had the courage to try! And you get some great stories of failure, stewing in the aftermath for a bit, and then having the courage to pick yourself back up and try again. THAT is worth celebrating! WHOOP!!!
Celebration closes the endless loop of ‘getting things done’. Without it, the line just keeps on moving and never gets crossed. It doesn’t matter the mountain of evidence that proves you keep doing the things, if it never gets acknowledged.
We have ceremonies for BIG accomplishments…Birthdays, Graduation, Marriage, Home ownership, Babies, Year End, Retirement, Funerals. It’s about time we had little ceremonies for all the things that happen in between.
Don’t let birthdays become just another day. Don’t let getting the lawn mowed become background noise. CELEBRATE them in some small way. Because it takes effort to accomplish something, even if it’s painting your toes. 
So, before you move on to the next thing on your never-ending to-do list, take a moment to recognize what you've already done. Especially the things that took a little (or a LOT) of courage!
And if you're anything like me, you might be surprised by how much you've forgotten along the way. That's why I created the Accomplishment Record Template, a simple way to keep track of your wins, your efforts, and those moments when you did something that scared the bejeebers out of you! Download your free copy and start collecting the evidence that you're braver than you give yourself credit for.
You don't have to wait until your BIG Dream comes true to celebrate the woman who's brave enough to chase it! 