For some, this might look like taking massive action and hustling harder, but that wasn’t going to work for me this time. I’d tried that before, and while I did get results, I had to make a lot of sacrifices that resulted in exhaustion, burnout, and being stretched way too thin.

This time, I knew that I had to do something different. I needed to let go of things that I was tightly clinging to, for my own comfort. I am someone who used to white-knuckle my way through life.

I’m an achiever, by nature. I am someone who wants to make things happen, and who will go the extra mile with you in order to see that thing come to fruition.

But when I looked at my life, I was overworked, overcommitted, and yet still not where I wanted to be. That is why this year, I’ve committed this year to fast from something every single month.

See my other “fasts” articles from the series here:

• A month without my morning coffee
• Going on a social media break as a business owner
• Giving up sweets for 30 days
• 21 days without spending non-essential money

To be clear, this fast was never about depriving myself or my body of things that I needed; nor was it a punishment to abstain from things that would enrich my life. This was more of an experiment to remove some of the layers so that I could see what was underneath and truly tend to what was going on in my life, my business, and my heart.

Not one of my monthly fasts was to intentionally serve health goals, but fasting from alcohol for a single month. What was something that I knew that I needed for a lot of different reasons?

Coming through the holidays and a crazy beginning of the month, I leaned on alcohol as a way to connect with people as the world started opening up more, and it became routine to grab a drink with friends.

This fast wasn’t about being sober curious or totally sober for the rest of my life, however, there are incredible resources for both of those lifestyles, including Sober Stories.

This was a break that I needed to take not only for my body’s health, but for my mental health as well.

In our culture today, it is very easy to get in a comfortable loop with alcohol. We know when over-consumed, it can have a ripple effect on our lives, and I was too often finding that to be true in my life.

Drinking was the easy default way to check out, rather than truly connect. By abstaining from alcohol for a month, I was able to hit the reset button on my health and refocus on my true intention of connecting with others.

Here are a few things I learned from my break from alcohol for a month.

1. It was much harder to start than it was to maintain.

It only took a few interactions with the friends that I see on a regular basis to let them know, “Hey, I’m not drinking right now.”

I had that be a part of the dialogue, and then we just moved on. I’ll admit I was hesitant to go to a couple social gatherings because I wasn’t drinking. Yet not drinking alcohol allowed me to be present in a way that I hadn’t been able to before.

Now, I’m not someone that always drinks a lot at an event, however, I noticed that by removing it completely, I was able to enjoy the conversation. I wasn’t stopping mid-conversation to go refresh my beverage. I was talking about things other than what we were drinking. Alcohol wasn’t the center focus.

2. I had more energy

It didn’t take long for me to realize that by not drinking, I was a lot less tired. Even a glass of wine here or there was dragging me down and if I was committed to a breakthrough this year, I needed every moment to count.

Most of the time, I was grasping for something just for me, for a way to relax. And by doing this, I had gotten into the habit of reaching for something that wasn’t actually going to help. Again, your choice to abstain from alcohol or to drink it is your decision. But for me, this was about getting to the root cause of what was really behind that reach for a beverage.

3. Non-alcoholic swaps helped

I found that by swapping my alcoholic drink for a fun, non-alcoholic drink, it still felt like a treat. Sure, maybe I didn’t want another glass of plain ice water, but I could try out a fun sparkling water that I didn’t drink during the day. I tried some new non-alcoholic options and still got to have an evening beverage served to be equally as effective, without all the fuss of having trouble sleeping and harming my hormones and my body.

Try some of these cozy mocktails.

Should you consider trying an alcohol break?

Since I concluded that month, I’ve really thought about where alcohol has a place in my life.

This is something I’m continually adjusting as needed. I know that I want to be here as long as possible for my girls. I want to be present with my friends and family. I want to have a healthy life. This was one area that was so easy to identify as holding me back when it’s often framed as something that’s going to set us free.

If you’ve considered taking a break from alcohol, I want to encourage you to try it.

Know going into it that you may have some people asking why you made this decision. Know that it’s okay to respond with, “I’m taking a break for now”, “I’m hitting the reset button”, “I’m trying other options,” and “I’m letting my body reset”. These responses are perfectly fine and often shut down any other probing questions from true friends. Most people don’t care.

Something I also noticed was that some people responded to me from a place of their own self-judgment. If I shared that I wasn’t drinking, then they would have some reaction as if I had made some comment about the fact that they were choosing to drink.

Now, as an Enneagram 9, this was something I had to get over because I never want to make anybody feel like I have been critical of them. But I had to recognize that this was not an issue that I was responsible for. I was making my own choice and they could make their judgment from that decision. However, their response was not my responsibility. It wasn’t an easy thing, but I did it.

After all, when I put it on paper, I’m not going to let peer pressure run my life, let alone get in the way of my major breakthrough. So why was I allowing it in this area?

I’d encourage you, if you’re considering taking an alcohol break, have a plan for the conversations that come up. They’re not hard but they do come up, and when they do, you’ll be glad you prepared for them!

Read next: Reasons to begin 2023 with a Dry January

See here for more from this series:

• Letting go of social media
• Letting go of my morning coffee
• Letting go of recreational spending

Now, letting go wasn’t a concept that I’d leaned into before. By nature, I’m someone who white-knuckles my goals and tries to will them into fruition. I’ve made big moves, I’ve stepped out in faith, and what I needed this year was to let go of the things that were holding me back and no longer serving me.

Each month, I’ve committed to fasting from one thing that I noticed myself clinging pretty tightly to. The goal was never to deprive myself of something that I needed, but rather to see what would happen when I stopped relying on that one thing to get me through. 

In one of the first months of 2022, I was hesitant to start my experiment. During this month, I chose to give up sweets in the evening. Before we go any further, I want to clarify that this was not about weight loss. This wasn’t about hating anything that tasted good or depriving myself of something that I wanted to fit into a pair of jeans. This was just a place to start. And quite honestly, I didn’t think it would be that hard.

I thought, “You know what, I don’t really eat a lot of treats. I don’t eat a lot of sugar. Maybe this is cheating.” I quickly realized that was not the case. Once I started monitoring this habit, I found that after I put my two girls down for the night, I would go straight into the kitchen looking for something sweet to eat.

What I soon realized was that this was my time to eat something that wasn’t going to be taken from me, asked for, or shared. It also wasn’t something that I would have to defend… you know, like why this candy was for mommy only, or whatever other excuse I could come up with.

I realized this was my time. I didn’t realize that I was searching for something that was my own, something that I could control that could make me feel better at that moment.

For many parents, that final push at the end of the night can be taxing. From witching hour to storytime to bath time to bedtime… oh, and don’t forget more stories!

I realized I was looking for a way to redemption, yet I had no clue that I was searching for it in the kitchen. Remember, this is not about whether or not you should allow yourself to have treats or not. But for me, at this moment, I realized that I was trying to soothe myself in a way that wasn’t nourishing to my body.

After having this realization, I noticed sweets popping up in so many areas of my life – like seeing candy at the register when I’m dropping off the dry cleaning or getting my nails done.

As I reached for one at every place, I went to pop a little something in my mouth. After all, it was just a fun little moment. I realized that I was absentmindedly eating more than I was aware of, again, wondering if it going to make a huge difference. I started to ask myself why I was going through life, paying little attention to what I was putting in my body.

I thought about how I could make a change so that I was intentional about what I was consuming, and I realized I was eating things that I didn’t even really like!

Now, this may or may not be a struggle for you. But like I said, I wasn’t thinking about what I was eating. I was just grabbing it because it was right in front of me.

And oftentimes, I was alone. No one was watching anyway, right? But this wasn’t how I wanted to live my life. I want to be able to cope with hard moments and enjoy the fun moments without having to be something that isn’t elevating me.

I was spending my days constantly tired, meanwhile consuming things that weren’t fuelling my body throughout the day, every single day.

However, stopping this habit for a short time allowed me to really enjoy those sweets once I brought them back into my life. I could be more intentional, more thoughtful, and actually savor those moments, enjoying them as a celebration rather than just something just to do and be done with.

For those wondering, eliminating sweets had no effect on my body type. The goal wasn’t ever to lose weight, but what I did feel was different. I felt more confident. I didn’t feel the shame and guilt from hiding those moments of whatever sweets I could grab and consume as fast as I could.

This was yet another layer that I could peel back for a deeper breakthrough. I learned that the things I was hiding and covering in my heart and soul by a simple, momentary fix were masking an area of my heart that needed tending to.

By removing sweets for a short time, I was given a different lens to look through, and as a result, I was able to care for myself in a new way.

Given this new proverbial lens, I was able to look back at the actual problem and find a solution that helped me avoid getting to the place of a micro-burnout every single day. I got to rearrange our schedule and work through a bedtime routine that was a better experience for all of us. I was also able to look at the types of trees that we have in our lives and find options that were healthier, more enjoyable, and if it was food related, more thoughtful.

This year, I’ve experienced a major breakthrough by learning how to let go of things. Each month, I fasted from one particular item in which I felt that my grip was too tight.

Catch up on the series:

• Giving up my morning coffee
• Going on a social media hiatus

Personally, this experience was about seeking clarity, peeling back layers, and tending to areas that I’d been covering up for far too long. It was about unearthing new ways to grow, by letting go of things that were hindering the growth of seeds I’d planted in my business for years. 

This process wasn’t only about getting rid of stuff or restricting myself from the things that made my life enjoyable. It wasn’t about weight loss or depriving myself of something that I actually needed (or even wanted). It was about hitting pause and refocusing on what I’d allowed to take center stage in my life. It was about interrupting patterns and routines that I had held onto out of habit over time, once I realized they were no longer serving me.

Lessons I learned from doing a 21 day financial fast

This financial fast taught me to stop and pause for enough time to really consider if this thing I was holding on to was elevating my life or holding me back from my goals. I looked at everything from sweets to alcohol to coffee. 

When I removed some of these options in the past, I’d sufficed knowing that it was a temporary withdrawal.

Taking time off of social media was a challenge, but it definitely made a difference in my life. Then, I got to something that I knew I’d need to do in this year of letting go.

In fact, I was the most nervous about this one. Why? Because I didn’t want to limit myself, and I didn’t want to fail, because on most days I don’t want to have to say no. 

What was the goal of the financial fast?

I came up on the month that I was going to complete a financial fast. However, my goal wasn’t to make a big move and save $10,000 in a month or a year.

I didn’t have a specific financial goal in mind, other than to hit pause on spending on nonessential and non-emergency items for 21 days.

To up the ante, I asked my husband to participate in this fast with me. Initially, I was nervous because prior to agreeing to do this fast, I’d been accustomed to spending money whenever I wanted to. I want to make the disclaimer that we aren’t at all in a financial position where we’re buying everything we’ve ever wanted. However, grabbing a cup of coffee, buying that snack at the store, and going to the special play place was all apart of my morning routine with my girls.

Had I been overspending?

During this fast, I noticed how easy it was for money to add up each day. Studies show that it takes making (or saving) $45 a day to earn an extra $10,000 a year. Spending $45 seemed like a lot, but it was just small, in-the-moment purchases that added up throughout the day.

In our American society, overspending is something that we’ve gotten far too comfortable with. It’s really easy to buy the latest and greatest thing, or “treat yourself” with this purchase or that one. However, I knew that I wanted to see a breakthrough in our finances this year, and part of that meant letting go of some things.

What is essential spending exactly?

During this process, I learned to define what our essential and emergency items are. I am someone whose love language is giving gifts. So when birthdays pop up, a friend is having a baby shower, or someone is hosting a special celebration, my default is to buy something that I know that person will absolutely love.

I got pretty creative going about this while also doing a financial fast. My family and I were going to a wedding and I’d planned on renting a fancy dress.

If I couldn’t find something available to rent, I’d considered buying a dress, but I couldn’t justify it as an essential or emergency item.

So I checked the weather and considered the fact that I’d likely be chasing around my small children, and realized I had two outfits that I could wear from my own wardrobe!

They weren’t brand new. I had worn them once years ago and to be honest, I wouldn’t have ever picked them because why would I when I could just get something new?

This time, instead of buying something totally new, I wore what I had. Now I know this isn’t a novel idea, but it’s a wise one, especially if you’re trying to make strides towards your financial goals.

To top it off, I still received many compliments because obviously, none of the people at the wedding had seen me in this outfit!

In this day and age of inflation, every dollar counts. Something I realized was that I hadn’t been paying attention to how I was spending my money in both my business and in my personal life. I so deeply wanted to have a business that was thriving, and while I was able to serve my clients and sell my programs, I wasn’t seeing that in my bank account. This was due to two reasons.

What this financial fast taught me about business

For starters, I was spending more than I was making. You’ve got to spend money to make money, right? Wrong. As an entrepreneur, I knew that I needed to make a profit in order to be able to continue running my business, so I read books that aligned with this goal and supported me to continue this fast.

Secondly, I wasn’t charging in accordance with how much time I was working for clients. Fasting financially led me to restructure my business in a way that served my clients and served my business, as I got paid for my expertise and the amount of work that I was putting into each project.

When I was spending impulsively, I also wasn’t charging appropriately.

Through the financial fast, my eyes were opened to the true provision that came my way. I normally wouldn’t have noticed it because I would’ve already spent that money. Paying off debt is not nearly as exciting or eye-opening as seeing fresh money come in that isn’t already in your bank.

How to do your own financial fast

I want to encourage you to embark on your own financial fast. I’m going to be honest with you, it’s not always pleasant, but for me, it was the kick in the pants that I certainly needed to start making some serious changes.

Now, can I say that my financial situation has changed overnight? No, it’s a process. But I now have a clear image of how my heart was positioned for money, how I was treating money, and what the reflection was on my life, and it’s made a world of difference!

Doing this financial fast brought me so much freedom (and it didn’t bring in an extra million dollars). Personally, true freedom looked like seeing where we stood financially so that I could understand why I was reaching for these momentary purchases.

How many beverages or snacks were we saying yes to without being intentional about the money we were spending? Did I need to make a second grocery run for all of the extra things I could easily justify as being essential? Did I really need to make another trip when we had plenty of food in the fridge? No. Did I need to pick up takeout because it was the easiest thing to do? Not as often as I was led on to believe.

Being aware and mindful of my spending habits and financial state has made a huge difference in both my marriage and our family’s life, and I highly encourage you to do it too!

This year, I set an intention that I wanted to see major breakthroughs in my life. Now, for some entrepreneurs that might mean hustling, taking massive action and making big moves. But for me, I knew that this had to be something different. 

After all, I’ve tried all that before and the typical leadership tricks just weren’t cutting it. While I saw some results with that strategy, I also saw a lot of sacrifice and exhaustion and no freedom in my business. 

For me, this year was all about letting go in order to break free. So, I set the commitment of fasting from one thing every single month that I was holding on to more tightly than I wanted to. 

To be clear, this was never about depriving myself, my body or my life of things that enriched or nourished it. This was not a punishment but rather, an experiment to see what would happen when I released my grip and turned my eyes to what was coming ahead of me rather than forcing what I thought should happen.

The Coffee Fast 

Coffee lovers, you’ll get me when I say that I was nervous about letting go of my first cup of coffee every single morning. But in the name of breakthrough, I knew what was once a morning ritual had now become a crutch and I needed a break. 

I have tried a complete sacrifice of coffee in the past where I didn’t drink it at all for a few days in a row and if you’ve tried that before you know it can be difficult. I saw some side effects in the form of headaches that come with the release as caffeine leaves your body. Been there, done that and never going back! 

This month’s fast was an intentional shift of my morning routine. Here’s what happened. 

It didn’t have to be all or nothing. 

Often when I approached resetting habits, I resisted because it felt like the only way to see a change was to eradicate the habit forever.

It is important to be gentle with yourself and I realized that first cup of coffee that I longed for, could wait. I could recommit my morning routine to something that really made a significant impact on my mental health and still have that yummy cup that filled me up. 

I took back my morning. 

I knew that while coffee in the morning was not something unique to me, nor something I had to go without entirely, I wanted to recommit the beginning moments of my day to something that would lift me up and set my day with more intention.

I have a practice of journaling that I know is the best way for me to start my day. It helps me get out of myself and allows me to have the perspective I need to tackle the day from a place of gratitude. It is also the space where I can record celebrations and get rid of any doubt, fear or lies rolling around in my mind so they don’t frame my day. 

I realized that by focusing on journaling and praying and going through my morning routine, I was able to set intentions for my day. Rather than my day just coming at me I was able to get on top of things. I was in a position to really enjoy and see the fruits that were coming throughout the day.

I felt more awake throughout the day. 

By not having my coffee the second I woke up, my body was able to wake up on its own.

Unbeknownst to me, I had been pushing down my body’s natural response to waking up in the morning and all the while I had been trying to speed it up. I found I was more present with my kids and clients and, as time went on, I found myself skipping coffee altogether. 

I felt less anxious. 

Maybe you’re like me and have a very busy morning schedule. I have two daughters who wake up ON and we have much to do before school starts.

Then, there is a moment when everything kind of dies down after that first flurry in the morning. While I should be settling into work, I noticed my heart racing as if I had just ran a marathon.

I was nervous to let go of that brain fuel, but I realized my body needed a break. I’d been hustling hard and pushing it far beyond its normal pace.

By letting go of the morning coffee, my body was able to reset and I wasn’t running through my day feeling amped up or burned out. 

Years of brain fog lifted. 

Over time, I started to realize a fog had lifted and I was thinking clearer than I had in a long time.

For years, I’d struggled with brain fog (you know, that feeling where you’re a walking zombie and can’t always finish a thought) but was typically dismissed when I brought it up because I have two small children.

I knew I was way more tired than the average parent yet I didn’t know why. I would crash in bed as soon as I put my kids to sleep and wake up tired and running for the coffee pot and so the cycle continued. 

Until I skipped the coffee. 

By switching up my coffee routine, I realized I was able to really wake up in the morning and have a full conversation. I was able to have thoughts and get creative. I was able to stay up later. This newfound energy was noticeable and helped reveal some other health notes I needed to pay attention to – talk about a breakthrough! 

This cup that I thought was bringing me life and filling up my cup (pun intended) – but really it was weighing me down. Again, I am not a coffee hater. I am a coffee lover. I have since continued to drink coffee.

But by removing this layer, I was able to see something that was mismanaged in my life.

I was able to reshift and move it to a time where it really could be something that lifted me up rather than pulling me down and making me anxious, setting my day up in a way that wasn’t meaningful. 

Have you ever given up coffee for any length of time? If you’re nervous, let me encourage you that it’ll be ok!

Remember, it doesn’t have to be forever and you can always change your mind.

What is one area you’d also like to see breakthrough?

Read this next: Coffee Alternatives To Avoid An Afternoon Crash

For me, I wanted this year to be all about breaking away from what was hindering me and breaking through to new levels of my personal and professional life. Simply put, I wanted to get unstuck and since breakthroughs don’t just “happen” to most of us, I knew I needed to take action.

So, to support this shift towards something new, I decided to let go and fast from something different each month in order to interrupt my daily patterns and reveal anything that might be holding me back.

I wanted to turn off auto-pilot, be more aware of my motivations and my hope was that by removing something I was leaning on too heavily, I would get a new perspective on changes I could implement in key areas of my life.

To be clear, the purpose behind each month’s fast was not to deprive myself or to make some big sacrifice to force a desired result.

It wasn’t a new diet or publicity stunt to gain a few followers. Rather, it was to make simple changes that would lead to a bigger impact on my overall health and well-being.

In a world where hustle culture screams we take massive action, I knew there had to be a way to make change a gentle and healing process – and that’s exactly what happened.

The Social Media Fast

Even though I didn’t consider myself much of a scroller, I knew social media would pop up at some point during this year of letting go.

But if it really wasn’t a struggle, then why was I hesitating when it came time to hit “delete?”

While I don’t often connect social media to my identity as a person, I DO use it heavily to support my business.

I took some time to do some soul searching and I realized that I was nervous about stepping away out of fear of missing out on some unknown potential client.

Now, I am NOT about to live and work out of fear, so I knew I had to let go right away.

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything profound after I hit submit on my “BRB IG” post letting my community know I was off for the month and how to reach me.

Maybe I would get a bit more time here and there but after all, since I felt “nobody” was seeing my posts thanks to Mr. Algorithm (I call him Al for short), I assumed this social media fast probably wouldn’t make a difference in the end.

Oh, how wrong I was!

Here are a few things I learned when I took a month long social media break

Being more present wasn’t an immediate reaction

Admittedly, I wasn’t instantly more present when deleting my social apps. It took a few days to detox but when I did, it was wonderful. I was able to breathe deeper, get a little more rest in between tasks and be more present in all the ways.

My eyes opened more toward what could be coming my way rather than opportunities I might have missed with a well-timed post or story.

Getting out of the habit of reaching for my phone – even to snap a picture for a later post – allowed me to really see what was in front of me and enjoy the fullness of the moment.

Social media isn’t the only avenue for growth in business

I started the month afraid of missing out on business connections but during my online absence, I celebrated booking my biggest client to date, I created a new program that brings me JOY to offer my community and I brought on a new team member to get the support I needed for the rapid growth.

Because my hands weren’t gripped so tight on what I thought should be the next step, I was ready to receive unexpected opportunities with open arms.

More people see your posts than you think

When I posted about my hiatus, friends and family quickly reached out to make sure I was ok.

Was I being bullied? Was I burnt out or drowning in comparison? I was happy to report this was simply a release rather than a cry for help.

My intention with taking a break wasn’t a test to see how many people truly cared but it became evident that our virtual communities do keep us in the circles with our favorite people.

A social media fast wasn’t life-altering but it was great

Hitting pause on my social media accounts didn’t feel like the huge weight lift I anticipated. You’ve likely seen examples of influencers taking social media breaks and or leaving altogether and if you’re like me, it seemed to result in an all-or-nothing approach.

And if you are also someone who participates on social platforms to build community, create content and grow or be present for your business, you know it can feel like a job at times.

I incorrectly assumed that stepping away would leave a gaping hole in my day.

What I realized was that I had been trying to shove it into pockets of time meant for other tasks so I felt like I was on it all day long.

By removing this task from my stack of multi-tasking, I was able to concentrate better and get other projects done more efficiently.

True community on social media is alive and well

I was shocked at how people continued to reach out during the month saying they noticed my absence and were used to seeing my family and me in my regular posts. When would I come back? Am I gone forever? How are my kids doing? Was I sure I was ok?

The consistent check-ins led me to evaluate how I connect with friends on and offline and solidified my desire to return back to social media after the month ended, but this time with more intentional content.

Have you considered or been nervous about taking time off social media?

I encourage you to examine why that feels so scary and then do a social media fast anyway! I am thankful to come back refreshed, refocused, and realigned and you deserve to have that, too.

Do you find yourself waiting for only the largest achievements before you take time to celebrate?

Maybe you don’t feel like you actually have anything to celebrate yet (I’ll let your business bestie chime in on why that’s not true).

Celebrating wins – both big and small- is one of the most underused yet critical strategies to elevate your business.

Think about it. You’re working hard, hustling for that big goal and maybe you’re even making some extra allowances on that work/life boundary you previously set.

Then the day comes when you finally achieve that milestone goal, but instead of celebrating, your eyes immediately dart towards the next big mountain in your business, and you start the next climb.

By not taking the time to celebrate, your brain doesn’t register this day as any different so the next time you fight for a big goal, it can feel more challenging and overall draining.

Celebrating wins along the way, on the other hand, produces a constant stream of motivation fueled by the dopamine that is created with every little victory.

Instead of trying to jump from the ground floor to the top of the building, imagine the celebration of each small win as a staircase that allows you to build to the top without all the exhaustion and temptation to quit.

Not sure you have the time for much celebration? Here are a few ways to easily add more celebrations into your business.  

Celebrate by checking off your list 

To-do list lovers, this one is for you! The simple truth is that you need to have goals in order to celebrate achieving them. No matter how simple it seems or if the goal feels like something you “should” do anyway, put it on your list.

The simple act of checking off your tasks will bring awareness to your accomplishment and will get your mind used to spot positive forward movement. Soon, this will become second nature, and the more you can stay mentally strong, the more energy you’ll have for the challenging parts of your business.

Celebrating by creating a win wall

If you aren’t seeing the forward movement in your business, start a win wall!

Collect every note from a client, thank you card from a vendor, etc., and find a place on a wall you will see every day. No need to set aside a whole weekend to design a Pinterest perfect setup; start with what you have and let it grow over time.

Having a visual representation of the positive moments in your business will serve as a reminder of the impact you’re making in between larger milestones.  

Celebrate by shaking up your day

Not every celebration needs to be an all-day, insta-worthy activity. After all, you’re busy and have more to do in a day than most people accomplish in a week!

Try switching things up in your day. Upgrade your coffee order, end your workday an hour early, and take the workout class you keep sacrificing to get one more task done. Changing your day even in the slightest of ways can be the pattern interrupt your body needs to remember you completed a task or achieved your goal.  

Celebrate by taking a trip

Ok, ok, so not every celebration will call for an escape to a dreamy location however, if yours does, then by all means GO. FOR. IT!

For those of us whose responsibilities require being close to home, I encourage you to incorporate celebration by simply getting out of your normal space.

Go on a walk in a different direction, go out to dinner somewhere new or if you’re in an office, go stand out in the sunshine on your break. Taking a moment to breathe in your success as you experience a new environment will take you out of the grind and allow your body to receive something new after pouring out to accomplish the goal. 

Celebrate your progress

If you are still not convinced you have anything to celebrate, this one is going to be an eye-opener. Take a look at your calendar, planner or whatever you use to plan your life. Don’t have one? Grab one just for this task alone.

Put a note, stamp, sticker, or whatever mark that brings you joy on the dates that something – anything positive – happened in your business (or life if you’re tracking here, too).

Get a new lead? Mark it down. Make a connection that has the potential to lead to new business? Mark it down. Choose to set a boundary and kept it? Mark it!

Keeping track of the wins within the process will help you see that things are, in fact, moving forward and likely faster than you think. Take note of any patterns you see pop up along the way.  

Celebrate by treating yourself

Sometimes, a good old fashion splurge is the celebration that speaks to your heart. Get the new book, those amazing shoes or whatever feels like a detour from your normal routine. It doesn’t have to break the bank; it just has to bring you joy and make you feel special.

Bonus points if it’s not something consumable so you can see it day after day and be reminded of what you felt by achieving your win.

Celebrate with a friend

Take a friend to lunch, enjoy the quality time, and celebrate that you are making progress with what you set out to do. Don’t be shy, tell them about your win and be prepared to fully accept any compliments or affirmations that come your way.

Remember, they are your friend, and they want you to succeed (even if they still don’t understand what you do yet)!  

Celebrate by planning for it 

Most of the time, businesses run without celebrations because they push forward day in and day out. Look at your schedule and see where you can plan for a daily, weekly, or monthly celebration.

Where can you add a celebration habit to something you already have scheduled? For example, I receive a weekly flower delivery from a local florist.

Each week when the flowers arrive, I take a moment to think through the last week and pick one thing to celebrate. This gives me space to literally stop and smell the roses, but it forces me to stay in the routine of acknowledging positive moments in my business.

If you’re still not sure where to start, try your skincare routine. Tonight, after you wash your face, linger a moment, and look at yourself in the mirror and acknowledge one win from the day. Note: celebrating surviving another day is 100% an acceptable win! 

Modeling celebration as a leader

Implementing rituals of celebration in your business not only help keep you motivated to move your business forward, but it encourages other leaders to do the same. In a time where comparison tempts us to believe we aren’t achieving enough; celebration brings freedom to our businesses by releasing us from the heavy burden of toxic productivity.

Modeling celebration and encouraging others in their wins is how we lift each other up and where the true impact is made.  

How do you plan to incorporate celebration into your business?