THE SYMBOLISM OF CELEBRATIONS

Throughout our lives we are faced with transitions that are often marked by relevant celebrations or rituals. These may include birthday celebrations, weddings, promotions, retirement and for the final transition, endings or death marked in various ways such as funerals or cremations.

However, working as a coach supporting the personal development journey of my clients, I have also come to recognise the value and importance of celebrating our achievements. These do not have to be major, organisational wide events. Celebrating and acknowledging the achievement of what others may consider insignificance may very well have been akin to climbing a daunting mountain to someone else. The consequences may be life changing for such an individual and therefore of enormous significance at a personal level.

We are so quick to move on to the next goal or objective that we underestimate the value of the ritual of celebrating our achievements and marking them before moving on to whatever comes next. Punctuating our achievements also serve to help us recognise how far we have come, acknowledging the personal journey and efforts necessary to get that far.

I am as guilty as the next person to want to tick a goal achieved off the list and moving on to pursue the next one. This is particularly true if our goals are job related and often, we are measured by the successes and quality of the goals we achieve. Rarely in my experience do organisations consider it necessary, or of any relevance, to take the time to celebrate individual achievements, unless it is part of a wider organisational motivational strategy.

So, when my book was published, after the initial euphoria, I immediately started thinking about the next project. It was when I received the box with my complementary books and promotional material that it brought it home to me what an achievement it was. I have published books before, but this book was particularly meaningful to me and my personal journey into midlife and beyond.

In celebration, apart from having a special bottle of champagne gifted to me, I also marked the occasion by having one of the posters included in the box as part of the promotional material, framed and hung in my study. Whenever it catches my eye, I am rewarded with a warm feeling of achievement and purpose. Having marked the occasion in a tangible manner, it has also served as a reminder of what is important to me and the reason for the changes I have made in my personal life and career transitions. It will serve as a future reminder to take the time to celebrate achievements no matter how small. As the adage goes, a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.

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