Driven by ambition, regret, or perhaps even guilt, many of you are creating new plans and goals for next year before the proverbial ink is dry on this one. I was doing that too. Then it hit me. I needed to take some of my own advice to slow down and savor the moment. It’s time to celebrate our wins and release our failures.
This year rocked, and it’s time to celebrate, smell the roses, and give back.
Celebrating your big and small accomplishments is about pausing to notice all the good in your life. It’s a brief intermission that allows you to recall your hard work, determination, and persistence. Time to reflect on your values, skills, and abilities.
Focusing on those things can, in turn, inspire you to pursue new and increasing goals.
Celebrating your wins not only feels great physically, but it reinforces the positive attitude and behavior you want to show up when you face a new challenge or opportunity. ~Bill Carmody, Inc.com
Times of celebration create moments to be mindful which in turn improves your wellbeing. When you stop to savor the good, you build up favorable emotions enabling you to manage daily situations and stresses more easily. And this helps to increase your adaptability.
Celebrate Your Wins
Feel free to order balloons and get gussied up, but fancy foods and primping aren’t required. Yoga pants, boxed wine, and the right candlelight can put you in the celebratory mood too. Just practice the ideas below and honor yourself.
1. Notice, name, and write it down.
What precisely did you accomplish and what makes you proud? What is going well in your life? How do these things make you feel?
Perhaps you learned a new skill at work, earned money from a side hustle, aided a friend or family member in need, or forgave a past wrong. Acknowledge your positive actions and whats working in your life, and you’ll find things to celebrate.
Recognize who helped you as well. Did your spouse do the majority of grocery shopping and meal preparation so you could be free to write? Did your work mentor introduce you to the perfect new role? Are your kids doing their homework and chores without having to be asked more than twice? Is your community supporting your efforts and spreading your message?
Recall who’s provided motivation, support, guidance, or a helping hand to salute them as well.
2. Make it special.
Find a special place to celebrate. A cozy room in your home, a tub full of bubbles, or under your favorite tree in the backyard, someplace that gives you joy. Invite a loved one to commemorate with you or bask in the moment alone.
3. Applaud yourself.
Let your hair down or style a mohawk, pop the cork or bottle cap, eat chocolate (dark of course), say a prayer or sing a song. Feel the pride, positive energy, and goodness. Celebrate it all. The meaning, friendship, love, and wonder you’ve brought to your life.
Savor the moment. Don’t rush it. But don’t gloat either. Tomorrow is another day, and there’s more Beatitudo to accomplish.
A Slow Yet Quick’ish Start, a Rockstar Win, Grandma Status, and Almost Double Commas
I published my first post here in early February 2017 after holding the domain for three years. A bit of a slow start I’d say. But with a feature in a Sunday Camp FIRE post on Get Rich Quick’ish, things started to heat up. I got my very first comment from Erik, The Mastermind Within, and I’ve loved this blogging thing since.
I’ve experienced a few wins, including some freelance writing work, additional featured posts, and an epic FinCon experience. All I was still left wanting was a Rockstar Feature for Christmas.
Fortunately, I wrote a post worthy of that honor. After first being mentioned in The Three Year Experiment, and recognized on ThinkSaveRetire.com as part of a Friday Feast, How to Be Happy was chosen as a ‘Today’s Best Feature’ on Rockstar Finance!
The good times kept rolling when it was also featured on The Financial Diet, and Physician On Fire’s The Sunday Best (12/17/2017).
AND then on top of all that, in the same week, my first grandchild arrived. A healthy baby girl who now has my heart.
Plus, we bought a rental property and became landlords, increased our net worth over $125k, and are nearing the double comma club. This wild market is enhancing our journey to financial independence, but we are doing much on our own part to earn, save, and invest as well – hat tip ESIMoney.
Releasing My Failures
Amongst all the good this year, there were some hiccups too. I’m still not a Ninja or a Spartan, thanks to a shoulder I reinjured – I’m working towards it next year though. And I enrolled in way too many online courses that I’ve not yet finished.
What’s that quote? “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year…” It seems I thought I could do 4 hours of work in 1 hour of time way too often.
Reality bites sometimes. But now I know better about what it takes to work full-time, run a blog, stay balanced, and be happy. Which probably means I’ll make maybe only 75 mistakes next year instead of 100. That’s okay though as I learn from each one.
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” ~ Albert Einstein
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” ~ Napoleon Hill
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” ~ Winston Churchill
Going Forward
I’m still figuring out the practical details on my big picture thinking for next year. But I know this. I’m enjoying what I do here, and I want to continue growing myself and this site.
I hope I’m providing you with tangible information and inspiration also to find those things that light you up. To aid you in creating greater health, wealth, happiness, and joy in your life. Please let me know how else I can help or other topics you’d like me to write about. Comment below or send me an email – Amy at lifezemplified.com. I’d love to hear from you.
Giving Back
We’ve got a few charities that we donate to throughout the year, but I always find myself at the end of the year wanting to give back more. If you do too and you’re not sure where to donate, please consider your local food bank, local domestic abuse shelter, the Red Cross or where some of my money goes.
Thank you for being here, reading and sharing my writings and recipes, supporting and motivating me, participating, commenting, and teaching me too.
I wish you a safe and happy holiday season and a rocking new year!
XOXOXO,
Amy
How are you celebrating your wins this year? You are celebrating, aren’t you!?
Love the post title! You’ve had an amazing year and you’re such an important part of this community! I’m so glad we got to meet and hopefully we can collaborate a little more next year! And what a way to end the year. Enjoy the holidays with your family and that new little one! Here’s to a wonderful 2018!
I too am so glad we met! Thanks, Vicki! Happy holidays to you and yours, Cheers!
Love this! I was planning on doing a 2017 wrap up post next week, so thanks for reminding me that I should sit down and think about all the wins this year so I can write about those, too!
Oh yes, please do! I love hearing other’s successes too. Thanks, Erin!
What an amazing year huh? Too bad it seemed to go so fast, but we all know next year will be better still.
Really love your outlook on things and thanks for that Churchill quote – I had never seen that one before!
Happy Holidays and New Year!
Wow did it ever go fast! Thanks for the kind words AF, all the best to you!
Fantastic! What a great year! A first time grandmother, landlord, and trip to FinCon. You packed it all in. And to boot, the Michigan State Spartans football team recovered from their miserable 3-9 2016! You got the complete package, Amy. 🙂
I’m happy to have made a blogging friend here at Life Zemplified. Looking forward to your positive, insightful posts in 2018 and beyond.
LOl, yes my son was much relieved at the better season. 🙂
Right back at you Cubert! I hope to meet you live in Michigan or at FinCon next year. Here’s to a great 2018!
Happy New Year and let’s rock in 2018! 🙂
I’ve enjoyed your writing and am excited to see where both of us go in 2018 – at FinCon, it will be cool to be veterans in the blogging world!
Have a good weekend with friends and family
Yes!!! Likewise, Erik! Your ideas and energy are inspiring.
Rock out the rest of this year and see you in the next one!
Amy, great reminder to take time to reflect on our wins, losses and Rockin’ On! You’ve crushed it with your blog this year (woot woot for that Rockstar Award, and more importantly that precious grandbaby in Dec!!). One of my definite “Wins” was becoming friends with you! Enjoy your Christmas holiday, looking forward to what 2018 has in store!
Thank you so much, Fritz. Your friendship means a lot to me! Happy holidays to you and yours!
Excellent idea highlighting all your amazing accomplishments this past year! We get so caught up in the moment, we wonder, “hmm, did I do enough?” But once you reflect back on it, and count it up, “Oh yeah – we did a lot!” We don’t like to celebrate too loudly….cause we are too cheap! haha! A 6 pack of our favorite beer and making some popcorn are about as adventurous as we get! But I enjoy that time with Mr. DS…conversation flows and it’s good to relax and put our feet up once in while without a laptop or phone in our hands constantly working on something. Annnd we keep ironing out those plans to retire someplace warm and which place we will visit in the winter. Congrats on your successes – here’s to another great year in 2018!
Thanks, Mrs. DS! Your kind of celebration sounds awesome. Relaxing, communicating, building dreams, that’s how to do it. Happy New Year!
Hey, don’t forget. You also had an amazing fitness post on the fabulous Freedom Is Groovy website! Awesome job this year, Amy. I love your story, love your blog. And I can’t wait to do a Remote Talking Trash with you. Let me know when the snow clears and you can get to some litter. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Won’t ever forget that, Mr. G! (it’s linked in there!) I’m eternally grateful for that opportunity, thank you! Right back at you, sir, I love you Groovies! I will definitely be in touch for some trash talking. Happy holidays to you and Mrs. G!
Happy holidays to you Amy!! Sounds like a wonderful time over there with your new addition ?. If I’m lucky enough, maybe I’ll see you at FinCon 2018!!
Same to you, Lily! Yes, she’s the best Christmas gift ever. I’m counting on seeing you there! 🙂
Love this post. You did many excellent things this year and accomplished a lot. I totally feel the part about letting go of your failures. I think they are called life lessons.
Thanks, DocG. Ah, yes, I’ve had many life lessons. Thanks for stopping by!