Through the month of February we talked about setting goals, focusing mostly on how we think and believe about our goals. I believe strongly that mindset is so vital for successfully achieving your goals, that if you haven't done the mental work as your foundation, the rest of the process will needlessly suffer.
There are a ton of systems and gurus out there who can tell you how to break down your goals into smaller steps, so I'm not going to do that. Besides, what works for me might not work for you, and you deserve to find the best system to work in your life.
Achieving your singing goals is similar. It's a process to get from where you are now to where you want to be, and that will require breaking down the steps into more manageable chunks and taking them on a little at a time. I can certainly help you with that, and I'd be happy to talk with you about it.
Regardless of the system you use to plan out your goals, it's important to regularly take time to reflect on and celebrate your progress. It can be sooooo easy to get lost in the grind, even when you're having a good time with the process, and miss the forest for the trees.
Celebration, even small things, can be vital to cementing your success and providing motivation to keep going.
Our brains are wired toward positive reinforcement, and celebration does that for us.
I am just as guilty as anybody of finishing something or doing an extra good job at something, and then blowing right past it to move on to the next thing without taking a breath, much less stopping to acknowledge the moment. I'm trying to get better at it, and I'm finding that it's a habit that I need to build. And just like any habit, it will get more successful over time if I stay vigilant about it.
Some of my little celebrations include grabbing a cup of coffee or tea from the kitchen and drinking it without working on anything else, a little nap with my doggo and kitty, walking into the backyard and breathing some air, working on a puzzle for a few minutes or a small step in a craft project, and reading a little bit. These are all things I can do in my house, and with little to no money or time.
Bigger celebrations may be taking a trip to the local theme park for some roller coaster therapy, cooking a new recipe, going to a movie, or a meet up with a friend.
Can I get a little introspective for a moment?
Sometimes I find celebrating hard. Not just remembering to do it, but sometimes I think I haven't earned the celebration enough yet. For whatever reason, I can easily convince myself that the work I have done isn't enough to stop to celebrate, and so I put it off, and keep working toward some higher, better goal that maybe will feel big enough to be worthy of marking the occasion.
Friends, this is a lie that I'm telling myself, plain and simple.
Every accomplishment, even the small ones, is worthy of marking with joy and happiness. Every. One. And so I am committing to celebrating more often, and with no guilt.
I'd love to know your thoughts about this. Do you find it hard to celebrate? What are your favorite ways to celebrate your accomplishments? What can we celebrate with you today? Drop your thoughts in the comments so we can cheer you on!
And, if you're like me and can't help but start dancing when you hear that iconic trumpet riff, I've dropped a little Kool and the Gang below. Yahoo!