It is quite easy to simply write off 2020 as a year that was quite out of this world. It feels like we have been churning away without stopping for some time in a chaotic world. We have lived through isolation, curfews, job losses and economic impacts. Some have experienced the pandemic firsthand in illness others have not but know people who have. Wherever you are placed in this world, it has certainly had an impact.

Just because the world feels like it is in a topsy-turvy place right now it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t stop from time to time and celebrate what we have achieved. Throughout this pandemic the world has continued, people have graduated courses, changed jobs, and celebrated other achievements. In a world where there is so much uncertainty, it is even more important that time is taken to stop and celebrate achievements.

We are all guilty of just churning through. It is so tempting to just keep your head down and keep going. When you don’t stop however and take some time to celebrate or at least reflect on the cool things you are achieving, you can grow resentful. You can find yourself wanting what others have or feeling that others have it much easier than you.

The key to avoid this is reflecting and celebrating.

While you are reading this why don’t you take some time to stop and celebrate some of the cool things you have achieved recently. Take some time to answer these questions.

What is the best thing that happened to you today?

What is the best thing that happened to you this week?

What cool thing did I do this month?

What is the best holiday or break that I had this year? How did it make me feel? What specifically made this so memorable?

Have you recently undertaken a course of study, finished a certificate or a module. Did you stop to celebrate the achievements of completing that program, certificate or module? Your celebration can be big or small. It can be the opening of a bottle of champagne or going out to dinner or having a massage.

Another way to celebrate your achievements is through a regular gratitude practice. Some practice daily gratitude others weekly. Some publicly practice gratitude and others privately. Create a process that works for you to acknowledge the things that you are grateful for within your life. It can be as simple as a great commute to work or as significant as a completion of some study or a great outcome for a client.

Now it’s over to you. What steps can you take to celebrate what you have achieved this year?