Congratulations, Team!
We’re about halfway through the first month of the new year so you’ve been working towards your plans for about two weeks now.
And you’re doing great!
How do I know that?
Because you have been putting effort in, one way or another for two weeks and that is definitely moving you in the direction you want to go.
But when we’re focused on the path ahead, we tend to just keep track of how far we still need to go and forget about the distance we have already travelled.
So, this might be a good time to take a glance backwards and see how far you have come.
Maybe it’s just a little easier to get started on your practice than it was at first.
Maybe your arms are just a little stronger or your shoulder is slightly less likely to give you grief when you lift something.
Or you might find the stairs a little easier or it’s not quite as hard to swing your legs out of bed.
Perhaps your meditation practice is a little easier to slip into or you didn’t immediately feel overwhelmed and stressed when you got an email from that client.
Maybe that one stretch is no longer the worst part of your workout or maybe you have slept better a few times or maybe you enjoyed your walk a little more recently.
Those are all markers of the distance you have travelled so far* and they are worth celebrating.
I like to get my coaching clients to do a disproportionate celebration for their early milestones because these early steps to introduce something new into your life can be some of the most challenging parts of habit building.
Please feel free to do the same for your celebration – watch a movie with a friend to celebrate the fact that your ankle is less cranky, make your favourite meal to celebrate that your neck turns a little easier now, spend an hour reading in the tub to celebrate that your mindfulness practice felt a bit more doable this week.
This is your life and these are the things you want to add to it, there is nothing wrong with celebrating every success. Everything you do to make this habit feel like a positive addition is another way of encouraging yourself to continue when things get challenging.
Ok, I know the question in some readers’ minds right now:
What about if you haven’t been able to get started yet?
Well, I think you should find a way to be kind to yourself about it AND is still a good time to glance back and find something to celebrate.
Maybe you have given things some thought and/or tried some things that you decided not to continue with – celebrate the fact that you have figured out some things you don’t want to do.
Having that information means you are moving toward finding out what you actually want – your experiment has been successfully in eliminating some possibilities.
Or maybe you have some things that you want to do but you haven’t been able to get to them yet. Glancing back lets you see what your obstacles were/are – noticing the obstacles is the first step to figuring out a way around them. So, celebrate the fact that you are definitely on the path toward your goals. **
Or perhaps you haven’t started because the beginning of the year was too hectic for you and you are just now coming up for air.
First off, celebrate the fact that you kept putting one foot in front of the other through that hectic time. Go you!
And then, remember that starting things on January 1 is a tradition, not a rule. Some people like that ‘brand new year’ feeling (and maybe you are one of them) but you can start something new at any time.
January 15, 2024 to January 15, 2025 is exactly the same amount of time as January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025. So you can start your plans whenever it makes sense for you to start.
And you can celebrate being a rebel you carved out their own timeframe for their goals. 😉
Finally, if you haven’t gotten started yet, you can also decide NOT to start. If your fitness and wellness routines feel good, you don’t have to take on any extra challenges if you don’t want to. You can let go of the idea that you should (blech – I still hate that word) be changing things and carry on with the things that already serve you well.
And that decision is definitely something to celebrate.
So, Team, no matter where you are in your plans, I hope you can take a few moments and celebrate your efforts, no matter what they are.
I hope you can glance back and find something that makes you say, “So far, so good!”
Be kind to yourself out there!
Here’s the gold star I drew to celebrate your efforts:
*And, if you are so inclined, they are probably worth writing down somewhere so you can compare notes with today’s self the next time you glance back at your progress.
**I’ll be writing more about obstacles tomorrow – see you then!