Savoring Our Accomplishments

This week, I wrapped up nine months of intensive coach training in two different programs. I’ve now got more than enough educational hours under my belt to qualify for Level 2 (PCC) credentialing with the International Coaching Federation. (I will need to rack up a couple hundred more coaching hours to earn that credential, but obtaining Level 1 in early 2024 is very much on the agenda).

Now, I didn’t really plan it this way, but the last day of both programs landed within the same week. And it’s so important (and also kinda hard) for me to pause and celebrate those endings.

So often for me (and I think for many of us), it’s difficult to really slow down and savor my accomplishments. I’m moderately decent at celebrating my big wins. When I run a half marathon, I usually treat myself to a glorious meal and festivities with friends. But, by the following morning, I’m usually headed right off to the next thing.

That could be the case today, if I let it. Wrapping up the final intensive workshop with CTI last night left me so full of hope and excitement and inspiration for the future. I’ve gotten to meet and work with and befriend so many amazing, inspiring humans over the last nine months. I’ve made what I hope will be lifelong friends. I’ve both coached and been coached through some fundamentally transformative shifts in perspective. 

And all that a big part of me wants to do today is dive headfirst into planning and taking action around the big, juicy dreams I have for myself and the people I’m going to get the privilege to coach.

Savoring Means Being in the Present

Historically, I would have let that part of me take the wheel. Instead of spending today relaxing, recharging, and slowing the fuck down, I’d convince myself I needed to channel that excitement and energy into more, more, more!! All in service of my future self.

But what about present me? And what about the past me who showed up so diligently and rigorously for nine whole months in order to get us to today? Don’t they deserve a bit more air time?

I think they do.

A while back, I wrote a post about giving ourselves more credit for all the things we do. Today, I’m struck again by how important that is for both large and small accomplishments. Living in the present means pausing to savor the beautiful, difficult things we’ve showed up for and moved through.

We talk a lot about celebrating our wins, but I’m thinking today about savoring them, too. About being fully present with a sense of satisfaction and peace and gratitude for our past selves – the versions of ourselves who put in the effort and the fortitude and the excitement to get us to today.

While future Cate has so many schemes and ideas and enthusiasm – past Cate has earned a fucking break. And a party. And at the very least a day off.

Admittedly, I’m writing about all this today, but this writing feels less like work and pushing myself than it does like doing something sacred. This feels like the pause, and the breath, and the action of gratitude for all the work that past Cate put into the life I get to live today. And the work she put into creating the fucking awesome person I’m always in a state of both being and continuing to become.

Savoring Means Pausing to Reflect

As the year winds down, we’ll all be inundated with messaging about endings and new beginnings. And I do love that. I see tremendous value in using the seasons as reminders to pause and reflect. To look back at how we’ve been living and look ahead to who we want to become. 

But I think there is opportunity for these moments year-round. Opportunity on any given Monday to settle in and spend some time appreciating ourselves, giving ourselves a pat on the back and maybe a cookie for what we have done lately instead of spending so much time focusing on what hasn’t been great, what we still haven’t done, what isn’t working.

Today, I’m savoring a beautiful moment of completion. I’m hanging out to catch my breath on the next landing of the staircase of life rather than pushing myself to keep climbing – as if there will ever be a top to reach!

Life is both incredibly long and shockingly short, which is why every win deserves its moment in the sun. And getting over any finish line is a god damn win, no matter how long it took us, and especially if it was hard to get here.

So. Whatever is happening for you today, in this moment, no matter how shitty things have been lately or how hard it all feels, you’re here. And you’re doing it! And I absolutely believe there is something you deserve to give yourself credit for. 

And if you can’t celebrate yourself for your own sake today, do it for me? Knowing that you’re taking a moment to honor the radiance that you are is the best graduation present I could ask for. 💜

And leaving a comment to let me know what you’re celebrating in or about or for yourself today (whenever you read this) will be the rainbow sprinkles on my graduation cake.

Footnote: I didn’t get myself a graduation cake, that’s a metaphor. I did, however, take myself on a dessert crawl of Portland and sampled some truly exceptional pastries. (Twisted Croissant for the win!) And then fell into a very well-deserved sugar coma.

Second footnote: this is post #40!! Which is pretty cool, too.