About 20 minutes ago, for the first time since Saturday afternoon, I felt caught up. Not finished for the day. Not ahead. Just not drowning. I celebrated by brushing my teeth. I’ve got big plans to take the party grocery shopping in a few minutes (seriously, I’m sort of passionate about grocery shopping. Super pumped about it). After that I’ll buckle down and doggie paddle through the rest of the day.
I don’t mention this to enter the I’m-busier-than-you fray, because I abhor the glorification of busyness. I feel lucky to be having a busy month, but I have slow months too, and moderately-paced months. I mention it because I believe in the power of celebrating tiny victories. In fact, I think it’s a necessity. Too often we’re so focused on long term goals – buying the house, paying off the student loans, getting the big break, winning at life – that we wait too long between celebrations. And it’s exhausting to be always toiling and never celebrating. Celebrating is fun. If we’re not finding reasons to celebrate, even tiny ones, then what are we doing with our lives, people?
Me, I just brushed my teeth, which I’d been putting off and putting off all morning – ahem, day – because of one task after the next, and it felt amazing. I am going to go grocery shopping because I love food and buying things (it’s true) and we’ve been out of butter, olive oil and non-spoiled milk for nearly a week, and I am going to revel in our newfound having of those things. I’m going to get stamps and send out our holiday cards. I might even plug in the Christmas tree before it’s really dark and make some tea – OH MY GOSH, I’M GOING TO BUY SOME COOL NEW TEAS TOO! – and soak up that feeling for a bit when I’m done.
Then I’ll get back to work. Husband and I might go down to our favorite new authentic German bar with our laptops and do some work there later. Because we can. Because by then I’ll have accomplished a few more things, and we’ll want to celebrate them. Because who has time to wait around to celebrate big, giant, way-over-the-horizon things? Life is a series of tiny victories, which, if celebrated correctly, add up to as much or more happiness than those big ones, when or if or ever they get around to happening.
Natalie Burg 
Amen to that, Natalie.
Along those same lines, Oprah did a show once about people who were always waiting for a special occasion to wear or use a “nice thing.” She asked people in the audience to bring those things with them to the show. It was fascinating. They were things like bed sheets and linen napkins and dresses bought on a great sale because there would certainly be a special occasion to use/wear them.
Her message was, “today is a special occasion. Quit waiting for the Queen to come to dinner.” The show clearly made a big impression on me 🙂 This post is totally in that same spirit. Which is why I love it.
I love that, Robin! Oprah knows. She always knows.