Happy dances and holidays

On the Saturday of the Easter weekend, I raced to the door when I heard the mail drop through the letter box. Ignoring the other 3 items, I picked up a padded envelope and when I saw the identification stamp on the back, I felt my shoulders drop immediately. I exhaled, it was here… Just in time. I could relax as its arrival meant that I’d stay on track with my deadline.

As those of you who are part of the “Happily Ever After forGrown-Ups” community on Facebook will know – it was my final proof copy of my book that I received in the post. I ripped open the envelope and a wide smile immediately took residence on my face.

This moment inspired today’s post (and hopefully reading to the end will make you think and allow you to reward yourself with a fun video). 

Before I continue, I just want to emphasise that when patting yourself on the back isn’t a regular occurrence, it can feel strange to stop and – date I say – congratulate yourself, but that’s exactly what I did on Saturday morning. As I ran my fingers over the lettering of the title and looked at the book from every angle again and again – I could not quite believe that I had reached that point. After over a year of blood, sweat, tears and one helluva balancing act – I was nearing the finish line in the writing/publishing process. 

Alone at home, I found myself doing a little happy dance and as it felt so great, it got me thinking about why and how we should celebrate our successes – big and small – so check out these ‘happy dance’ worthy occasions

1. The obvious: Do a little jig to celebrate something you are proud of. This can be for something as big as completing a major project you’ve been working on to as (seemingly) little as choosing salad over chips for lunch if you’re trying to be healthy.
2. Feeling like you are making progress at work: You may be working towards your next promotion or pay rise… or may be determined to start feeling like you are doing your job at a standard you can be really proud of. Determination to do well is a fantastic quality and when you can help your employer recognise your good work (let’s face it – sometimes it’s necessary to point out what’s in front of their face!) – It’s a great moment. Celebrate it!
3. Getting together with a group of friends and / or family: You don’t have to be Carrie Bradshaw and the SATC (Sex and the City) girls to get together for a long leisurely lunch and drinks with your nearest and dearest. Try it. Book in a Saturday or Sunday lunch with some friends you want to catch up with – enjoy some awesome food and ignore your watches, phones, social media channels and more. Instead, focus on this group of friends and enjoy the quality time together. Certainly happy dance worthy.

I could continue (and include an example about how an upcoming surprise holiday for my husband is likely to be another happy dance moment), but I am much more interested in what your happy dance moments have been recently.  Go on… Share some of these moments via the comments box below. 

Remember, life can sometimes feel like it’s passing by at a speed due to our many responsibilities, commitments and sometimes even due to our incessant focus on our goals – but the journey becomes much more enjoyable when you take a moment to celebrate. Dance baby… dance (like Chandler and our favourite Friends in the video here) and remember to share your moments below)!

Happy Easter. Enjoy the rest of your Easter holiday. 

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Gina Visram is a career coach, speaker, mentor and author who works with ambitious, multi-tasking women (and men!) who are ready to work hard at being successful in their careers and personal lives - on their own terms. She has recently published Happily Ever After for Grown Ups: A Post-Wedding, Blues-Busting Guide for Newlyweds" and is committed to  helping people get over overwhelm and achieve the career success/life balance they seek. For more information and to sign up to her free newsletter visit www.limitlesscoaching.com.