It’s wonderful when you have a huge milestone to celebrate, don’t you think? Milestones like showering a mother-to-be, a wedding, an engagement, a new baby, school graduation. These things are easy to celebrate because it’s expected.
But what about when some of those milestones, well, just aren’t happening in your life? That’s when I think it’s important to take an inventory of the quietly huge milestones that are meaningful to you.
Maybe it’s a goal you’ve been working towards for a long time. Or a decision that’ll drastically change your life but has just been so scary to actually make.
I’ve come up with a list of opportunities where you can celebrate the ordinary, mundane and brave, big and scary milestones of life. It’s not exhaustive by any means and I’m sure I’ve overlooked many!
Ordinary Milestones to Celebrate:
Running a marathon
Resigning from a soul-sucking job
Moving into a new home
Sending that email you were really scared to send
Decluttering sentimental items that no longer serve you
Leaving an unhealthy relationship
Successfully baking a cake
Being consistent in a new exercise routine
Forming a new healthy habit
Working on being better about connecting with the people who are important to you
Accomplishing a DIY project
Growing your own vegetables
Booking a trip someplace new and exciting
Securing a new client
Finishing that huge organization project
Standing up for yourself
How can you celebrate these quiet milestones? Sometimes things are so private that you want to acknowledge them all by yourself. Other things might be appropriate to include someone from your inner-circle. Still other accomplishments may call for inviting your girlfriends over for wine, fancy snacks and deep chats.
Maybe,sometimes, celebrating looks like a gift. That friend of yours who took the leap and finally quit her job to start her own business and who also loves filet mignon? Maybe celebrating looks like gifting her with a nice set of steak knives rather than a fancy dinner out.
That other friend who’s figuring out how to manage on-going health issues? Maybe celebrating looks like bringing her a bouquet of flowers to encourage her in how far she’s come and remind her she’s pretty.
The time when you finally stood up to the mean girl at work? Maybe celebrating looks like taking a nap under a cozy blanket on your couch and then having a snack.
Or, when you’ve finally re-launched your website after months of hard work for both you and your web developer, maybe celebrating looks like an evening of having a drink, enjoying each other’s company and karaoking 90s pop song hits on YouTube.
The main thing to keep in mind in celebrating the ordinary is mindset. Shifting our mindsets to a more celebratory paradigm rather than overlooking “small” accomplishments as routine or mundane. It’s something I’m working on doing, myself.
Is this something you’ve thought about? How do you celebrate the ordinary?
