This is the time of year when we get out our notebooks and planners and begin to write a list of things we want to accomplish in the next year. Normally it begins with things like lose weight, save more money, read 10 books, etc. If you’re a rider, your goals may be to ride more, take lessons, compete in a horse show, win a buckle or maybe even buy a horse. Learning to celebrate small wins along the way can magnify the quality of your life and your happiness.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Goal setting is great. It can give us direction and purpose. I’m a big believer in goal setting. In fact, you may even have taken my free mini course on goal setting which is a great way to get focused on what you really want out of your riding and your life. You can access the course by clicking the link below. I also wrote an article on goal setting that you can access here.
Why do you want to accomplish that thing, that goal?
Ask yourself this question: “Why do I want to accomplish this goal?” Most of us set goals because we want the feeling we think we will get once we reach it.
Perhaps you have a goal of earning a specific amount of money so that you feel secure in your future. Maybe we want that promotion at work because you’ll feel recognized and respected for your efforts. Maybe it’s a new car or larger home. Maybe you want to win that buckle because of the feeling of accomplishment it will give you and the recognition that you have a good horse!
What is your why?
What is your why for the goals you have on your list? What are the feelings will you get when you reach those goals? Consider this, since feelings are created by our thoughts, what if you chose to feel that way before you ever obtained the goal? Wait, what?
Maybe you’re like me. I tend to get so focused on the goal and the outcome that I forget to celebrate the small significant steps it takes to accomplish the goal. And my friends, this is so important!
We seem to have a belief that we have to be discontented with where we are in order to get to where we want to be. We’ve bought into this illusion that life will be better one day when, so we chase it like a dog chases a bone. And just when we’re about to get there, we throw the bone again.
Create a feeling of joy and abundance in the life you have right now. Striving for goals is so much more fun when you’re coming from a place of excitement and joy versus resistance and desperation.
The key to success is realizing that our big goals aren’t going to happen overnight, in the next week or maybe even the next year and this is okay. When we don’t recognize and celebrate the little things, the small wins, we end up diminishing our motivation and motivation is what keeps us on the right path. It gives us the strength to push on when things get a little tough.
Acknowledging and celebrating these small wins actually releases chemicals in our brain that gives us the feeling of pride, giving us the feel-good and happiness factor and makes us want to go further towards our next achievement.
Are you willing to celebrate your life a little bit more?
Many people have a hard time celebrating their small wins. They may think that it feels silly to celebrate an effort that doesn’t seem like an achievement. Why celebrate completing a riding lesson, one single workout session or one hour of reading?
But the thing is, you’re not celebrating because you’ve made some huge achievement. You are celebrating because you’re successfully changing the way you see the world. You’re celebrating because of who you are becoming. And you’re celebrating to reinforce the good habits and develop an addiction to progress.
And here’s another thing my friends, celebrating the little wins in life may not even be tied to any goal! The little wins may be unexpected! You may not even have anything to do with them. It’s those ordinary moments of life that we’re often so busy chasing the other things that we don’t see how magical and amazing they are. It’s the unexpected check that arrives in the mail, sunshine when the forecast calls for rain, no weight gain when you’ve been celebrating Thanksgiving for four days! Yay!
Final Thoughts
Don’t wait to celebrate your life. Look around where you are right now and notice something that is beautiful. Notice something that’s amazing. Notice something that is abundant. Stop focusing on what you don’t want unless you want to keep on experiencing that day after day. Because what you focus on expands.There’s a saying that states “what you’re seeking is seeking you”!
So,what are your goals with your riding or with your life? What small wins have you discovered that will move you towards those goals? What are the other small wins in your life that you want to celebrate? I hope you will share those with us in the comments below and let us all celebrate with you!
If you haven’t taken the free mini course “Focus on Your Dreams” and would like to, you can access it using the link below.
Enjoy the Ride!