Greetings,

Congratulations to those of you who are in school, have loved ones who are in school, or whose lives are dictated by the school calendar: you have officially survived May, also known as May-hem or May-cember.

During the last month, I witnessed countless recitals, final games, end of year concerts, and awards/recognition ceremonies for feats ranging from finishing kindergarten to learning to play the trombone. And while an element of me smirked at some of these celebrations (such as when a fifth grader was congratulated on finishing the “senior year” of elementary school), I think there is something to be learned from this experience. What felt like a commemoration overload was a needed reminder that it's not always about the destination and that it's helpful to stop and celebrate milestones, however incremental, along the way.

I live into this mindset most fully in my fitness life, which is so sporadic that getting through a few workouts on schedule truly does merit a parade. In my professional life, however, I struggle to give myself credit for the small things I do day in and day out to drive long term success.

So, as I recover from May-hem, I'm going to pause and give myself a pat on the back (or a beloved breakfast taco) to acknowledge some little milestones — those small ways I've improved, grown, or just shown up to do the work.

Will you please join me? What are you doing but not celebrating? How can you reward yourself for your progress, even though your goal may be years away? I’d love to hear your answer. Reply to this email, and let’s chat.