< Previous THE ART OF CELEBRATION FOR THE SMART FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR by Gaelle Lecourt When a woman shares her most recent accomplishment in one of my Facebook groups, I often ask the same question that’s ALWAYS SURPRISING to them:“How are you going to celebrate?” One of the recent answers I read was: “Wow! Great question. Haven’t really thought about it. I will have to think of something spectacular to do to congratulate myself. Money is a bit tight these days, so I will need to be extra creative.”This is a very common response I get. It always strikes me for two reasons:1We don’t celebrate enough.2We often think that celebrating implies spending money, buying stuff and when you start your business, you might not be in a position to splurge on a month vacation to Hawaii!As the journey to create a successful business can be challenging and take some time, it’s even more important for female entrepreneurs to include a celebration strategy while setting goals for themselves. Here are 8 strategies I share with my clients to make sure they master the Art of Celebrating:1Break your 3 main goals into 2-3 milestones so there are mini-celebrations along the way to keep you motivated.2Create a “TREAT LIST”. This is a document where you associate with each milestone/goal an image of how you will celebrate reaching this moment. As humans are visual creature, it helps to visualize this TREAT list every day for 5 minutes3You can also use a free app (the one I use on Android is called VISUAPP) that will pop up several times during the day with a slideshow of your pics and a nice music to remind you to visualize on your treats!4Find a song that you love, that is motivating and boosting your vibe, and make it your celebration song! Play it each time you have a celebration or each time you want to get back into high vibe! Make a whole playlist on Youtube of songs that celebrate your grit and victories into your business. My favorite right now? “Best day of my Life” by American Authors5Share with your celebrations with like-minded sisters who will celebrate with you and keep the celebration wave rolling for you!6Make sure you have both type of celebrations: celebrations with or without monetary value because making money is nice but keeping it and making profit is even better!7Make a list every Sunday of all the things you’ve accomplished and what you’ve learned. Sometimes we tend to see the glass half-empty and this ritual helps to have an unbiased view of all you’ve accomplished.8Journal to keep track and reflect on your progress as sometimes celebration is about intangible progress, golden nuggets or epiphanies you didn’t plan to collect on the path. These are things such as important mindset shifts or money blocks that are removed! Journaling will help you articulate these and record those paradigm shifts that enable you to burst through limitations.Below is the non-exhaustive list of monetary and non-monetary treats my clients and I have had over the years:• Mastermind or Coaching programs• Seeing the Northern Lights from the Igloo hotel in Finland• Cosmetic surgery• Massages, flotation tanks, hair color, facial, Mani/Pedi, Sauna, Spa day, Reiki etc…• Sushi• Weekend on a lake• Sports game• Guilt-free afternoon to do what you want• Hiring someone to take care of chores at home (cleaning, cooking, yard work etc)• Horse ride buggy rides etc…• Dinner at a restaurant• Hiking or a walk• A new laptop or a new phone (any electronics!)• Weekend away• Organic face cream• Drinking a cup of coffee on the porch on Sunday morning, enjoying a time for yourself • Bath with salt, essential oil, candle and relaxing music For example, even if I eat sushi several times a month, I make the treat-sushi dinner special by really being mindful of what I’m celebrating in the moment! It’s exactly the same thing for the non-monetary celebration like a relaxing bath or a walk.And next December, you’ll indulge in reviewing your original treat list and its many updated versions to check all the treats you experienced and the milestones you reached in 2018!What’s important with each treat is the mindfulness you set during your celebration time.CELEBRATE THE NOW by Danny BaderBy definition, to celebrate is to mark something by festivities or other deviation from routine. We celebrate the birth of a New Year every January 1st and “true love” about six weeks later on Valentine’s Day. Then many of us of Irish descent—and a lot who claim to be once a year—drink green beer in a celebration of the life of Saint Patrick. I understand these, and celebrate them all, but have also come to realize the importance of practicing celebration daily. Or, as I like to say, “Celebrating the NOW”. Far too many people are focused on the future or waiting for some big moment rather than enjoying what they currently have. This thinking sets us up for perpetual let downs and ultimately missing the amazing things that are right in front of us. In fact, science has proven that those who celebrate what they have and their accomplishments on a regular basis are more confident, motivated and happier overall than those who fail to recognize the good things in their lives (The Happiness Project and Success Intelligence, Ben Renshaw). You’re probably wondering, “Sounds great, but what do I have to celebrate daily”? With hectic schedules, bills, and the doom and gloom of the news, it’s easy to forget what we are most thankful for in life. So, here are a few of the ones that I am most grateful for and celebrate daily. And while this list may not apply to you, it will help you get started thinking about your own. ◊ The love of family;◊ The support and loyalty of good friends;◊ Health (and we all have some aspect of health to celebrate, trust me, I’ve been with cancer patients, and quadriplegics who celebrate something they’re blessed with);◊ The rising of the sun that offers a wonderful day of potential and possibilities;◊ The life lived of one of our deceased friends or family;◊ The food and drink we enjoy;◊ The ability to help another person for nothing expected in return;◊ Our connection to Spirit;Not sure where to start with your own “daily celebration”? Don’t be discouraged; it’s not an easy task. After all, it requires us to be conscious or mindful of our most valuable resources. To truly celebrate what we are joyful for, we must be relaxed and be able to put our lives in proper perspective. And like anything, this takes time, dedication and good old-fashioned practice. Next >