We live in a culture in which bigger and more are perceived as inherently better – bigger cars, bigger houses, bigger portions, higher pay, fancy titles, audacious goals, and grand gestures. So, when my husband recently became a Black Belt, I felt compelled to plan something extra special to celebrate this huge accomplishment. But what celebration would be adequate to recognize the years of dedication, training, and endeavor it had taken to reach this high level of excellence?
As I was racking my brain for the biggest and most glorious ideas, I thought about Alastair Humphreys, an adventurer and an author. I like to think of myself as adventurous and have been following Alastair for years. Although he has inspired me in many ways, it is his idea of microadventures that I find most compelling. The concept of a microadventure is that it is short and simple and can fit into day-to-day living without requiring months of planning, or a big budget. It is the premise that adventures are accessible to everyone. Even a small local excursion can be impactful. By the same token, celebrations needn’t be big and lavish to be magical, meaningful, and memorable.
After much deliberation, I opted for an urban hike to celebrate my husband’s success. We both felt we’ve had way too many “big” things this year. We wanted a change of pace, to slow down, to celebrate the “big” in a small, yet, significant way. Thus, we set off on a Sunday morning to experience the wonders of the trails and pathways right outside our front door. Meandering around familiar streets on foot provided an opportunity to see things from a new perspective. It was a wonderful day that had given us many moments of outdoor awe and of quiet reflection. Here are the big ideas we thought up about goals, success, and celebrations:
Dream big but give yourself room to grow
When I was growing up, buying new shoes meant passing the Thumb Test. My mother would use her thumb to push down on the end of the toe to make sure the shoes were slightly too big so that we’d grow into them. How excited we were to get these too big shoes once a year. Nowadays we know to buy shoes that fit properly, but the concept is still valid for dreaming – choose your dreams a size too big so that you can grow into them.
Think big but start with small habits
Once you have identified the end-result, narrow your focus and maintain attention on what will get you there. All big things come from small beginnings. Success is incremental, a series of small steps. And every small step is a decision. With the decision to keep your eyes on the goal while taking the next step towards completing it, you plant the seed of building habits for success. Those habits sprout and grow, yielding fruit - positive results. Small habits are by far more powerful than big goals. Break your dream into small achievable goals and build the habits to do the work. Every habit is a stepping stone to your destination.
Do more: but with (a lot) less stress
Success is not just a matter of habits but also of harmony. We get de-motivated when we feel overwhelmed and anxious about the enormity of the task ahead. The key to building good habits is to also seamlessly integrate them into living with more ease. Finding harmony reduces stress levels. Tracking your progress regularly will help you realize how much you’ve done and how far you’ve come in achieving your goal. Whatever you choose to do, aim to create work-life harmony over time. Every step forward is an achievement. Make sure you track what goes well, and do more of it. This will help keep you on the right path and give you the strength to keep pushing the limits.
Be proud of every win but celebrate in small meaningful ways
An important part of reaching big goals is celebrating your progress. Get in the habit of listing your wins, big or small, every day and for every week. Every forward movement is a reason to celebrate, not necessarily for making a big difference, but for successfully staying the course. Small wins build momentum and have enormous motivational power since they indicate the potential and capacity of achieving bigger and greater things. Each step completed merits a special treat. Adopt an adventurous mindset. Celebrations can be a little burst of fun to reward yourself, refresh your mind, rejuvenate your body, and renew your spirit.
Keep going: there’s always more in you
When you reach one goal, it’s time to set a new one. But be sure to extend your limits rather than your ambitions. Challenges are good for the soul but only if you pursue the right things for the right reasons. Clarifying the reasons for your pursuits is very important. The “why” of your goal must be for yourself. Once you’ve done the proper reflection, look forward to setting and achieving new goals for your next growth spurt.
Don’t wait to set the big goals, plan the big adventures, or celebrate big. Celebrations, like adventures, can be anything that’s new and exciting to you. Even microadventures can reset, refresh, rejuvenate and be a reward for small or big wins. All you need is an open mind and a willing heart. I am finding that in trying to create the extraordinary, I just need to put a little “extra” into the ordinary every single day. How about you, are you ready to put a little 'extra' into your life? What are some simple ways you can weave more adventure and celebration into your everyday life?
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