Common traits of business owners: ever forward, continuous improvement, never satisfied, nonstop activity toward the vision.
One thing these characteristics do not have in common: stopping to celebrate success.
No time, more to do, not quite where we want to be yet, just got another new opportunity. Sound familiar?
It’s a recipe for burnout. When are you done? When is it ever a good time? When is it good enough?
Continuous improvement, forward motion, and stopping to reflect and celebrate are seemingly at odds with one another. Upon a closer look, though, they actually feed each other.
If we never stop to celebrate and reflect, we never fully appreciate what we’ve learned and how far we’ve come to secure motivation for new and more challenging goals. If we only stop to celebrate and reflect, we’ll eventually be passed by someone willing to work harder and push further ahead.
The two in combination help us balance the peaks and valleys of managing a business.
I often tell clients that the goal over time is not to eliminate the valleys, but rather to shorten the time spent in them and make the drop lower. Reflection and celebration help us extend the peaks a little longer and shorten the valleys.
So, from one type-A overachiever to all of you, stop for a minute today, this week, this month. Reflect on all you’ve accomplished lately and have a mini celebration of your successes.
Even if it’s just a little ice cream party for yourself (you know who you are!).
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