Do you ever feel like you are living life to achieve these specific goals? You are doing it! You are meeting the goals and, because you are achievement oriented there is always another goal around the corner. There is always something to step towards. So, instead of savoring the moment, celebrating the milestone and taking the time to pay yourself on the back, you just keep moving?
Life is about the journey as much as it is the milestone, for sure. Today we are talking about celebrating milestones BIG and SMALL as this is the 100th episodes of Fulfilled as a Mom!
It’s our 100th episode today! I can still remember so clearly the time when this show existed only in my mind. I knew that I had things to say – and if you asked Dan he would say that, in the last 10 years, he’s never known me to be at a loss for words – and I knew who I wanted to serve: working moms like you. Moms juggling all the balls – the work, the home life, the marriage, the friendships and the moms who are looking at that self-care ball bouncing away to sit in the corner with the quality time and the family finances ball and wondering how to do it all.
I don’t even want to tell you how many false starts I had. Or how many times I told myself that the cover art had to be juuuust right or the name and show description had to be PERFECT before I even started. I got hung up on a gazillion things that didn’t matter and forgot to focus on what did matter – serving my awesome listeners.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, but in reality was probably more like 6 months – I published that first episode. The introduction and content had been recorded with a shaking voice and sweaty palms, word-for-word from the script I had agonized over. The music to that intro was recorded by my teenager on his drums and I was sleeping with the editor… because it was Dan.
That, however, was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. This show has become a living, breathing thing. It has changed and grown. It has brought you and I together. It has covered SO many topics and we’ve welcomed SO many incredible guests to share their stories, wisdom and answers with us.
So today… in honor of this being episode number 100… we are going to talk about starting before you feel ready AND we are going to talk about celebrating milestones both big and small.
If you are one of my awesome YouTube video watchers and you are wondering where the heck the other 90 episodes are – you can search Fulfilled as a Mom on any podcast platform and find all the episodes – including that first one where, honestly, I kind of cringe looking back and tuning into those early episodes.
STARTING BEFORE YOU ARE READY
I’m so sorry but also kind of not sorry to be the bearer of bad news – but you’ll never feel 100% ready to take that step, to try something new or to take that chance.
It’s going to make your heart race. It’s going to make you nauseated. You will come up with ALL of the excuses in your own mind.
You honestly might not notice that you are procrastinating – because sometimes you fill that time with other things – so you are doing something but you aren’t doing THE thing.
I want you to think about that thing that you’ve been debating. That shift, that change. No bullshit – what would it take to make it happen? Write it down! Then, do it!
CELEBRATING MILESTONES
In life we can get so fixated on the goal – on the achievement. But once we achieve the goal, once we earn the raise, get that last kiddo into kindergarten, or start prioritizing our health we say NEXT and we are on to the next goal.
Slow down and savor that achievement. You worked hard for that goal. You took step after step. You decided you wanted the outcome. You fell off track and got back on track. It wasn’t a straight line. There were twists and turns and it wasn’t perfect, but you made progress.
Here are 4 ways to Celebrate Milestones in your life. You can do these for things big and small.
1 – Gift yourself something that is out of the ordinary
This can be big or small, keep it in the budget, but something that you don’t normally do. This can be as simple as a soft serve ice cream at the drive through between work and daycare – then savoring every lick in the blessed quiet of the car or a purchase that you’ve had your eye on, been drooling over, and haven’t yet indulged in.
2 – Special self-care routine
Yes, you should be taking care of yourself daily and No, you don’t have to “earn” your self-care but having a ritual where you take a bath, steam your face, do a facemask, paint your nails, put on lotion and read a book, this can be a simple and budget friendly way to indulge without breaking the bank.
Ready to go all out? Schedule a spa day. Practice some mindfulness and live into that joy and the feeling of accomplishment. You did it! Yay, You!
3 – Share it with the world
We are sometimes hesitant to humble-brag but whatever it is, you deserve to be patted on the back, encouraged and celebrated by your community. There are SO many people that want to celebrate alongside you and if you are keeping that accomplishment all to yourself you are robbing them of that joy.
Think about the last time your girlfriend got a promotion or you were able to celebrate a colleague’s retirement. Didn’t you feel great cheering that person on and celebrating their hard-earned accomplishments. Your friends want to do the very same thing.
Share with your friends and family. Bask in the glow of that celebration. You deserve to be celebrated. You are worthy of praise, my friend. Enjoy it!
4 – Look back at how far you’ve come
Sometimes, even though it might seem cringe-worthy, it’s fun to look back at the progress you’ve made. This can be photos, videos, something you’ve created, what you earned or maybe even where you started in your career or your relationship. Sure, it’s not perfect now, but think about how things were on your first day, your first date, and how much you’ve grown and changed since then.
The one thing about this life is that we are growing and changing. You are, even if it feels slow. Those changes you are making, one by one, they accumulate.
Make a point to look back and pat yourself on the back for all the progress you have made.
Me? If you need me, I’ll be over here sharing ALL the gratitude for you. Thank you for tuning in. Thank you for making this show a reality. Thank you for sharing with your friends. Thank you for writing reviews…
And if you love this show the BEST way to say thank you is to do just that. Send this episode to a friend who is celebrating a milestone and tell them how much you love them! Write a review about how it’s helped you and what you love about it. Remember to subscribe and follow so you’ll know when new episodes of goodness are in your queue!
I’m going to draw myself a bath, pick a new trashy and borderline risque romance novel and sink into the hot water knowing that alongside this 100th episode we are celebrating over 20,000 downloads! That means that 20,000 times, of all the episodes and all the shows in all the world, of all the ways that you can choose to feel connected to and part of this growing community of working moms, of all the choices that you have, you pressed play on Fulfilled as a Mom.
That means the world to me. I’m incredibly grateful, humbled and challenged to show up well and serve you well in this way. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being here. Whether you are brand new or a seasoned fan, I’m glad you are on a quest to become fulfilled as a mom. Until next time, keep on celebrating those wins and cheering yourself on – you know I’m cheering for you from here!
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