Give yourself a powerful gift this season

As the year is coming to a close, it is easy to live in high-gear as you do your holiday planning and shopping, get cards out, go to holiday events, and push to complete 2024 projects.

You may be pushing hard so consistently that the realization of the toll that pace takes may not have occurred to you.

Take a beat!

I invite you to take a moment now to simply sit quietly and take 3 slow, deep, refreshing breaths.

Consciously let you shoulders relax.

Loosen your jaw.

Give yourself a small hug.

Now, to really give yourself a treat, pull out a paper and write 3 things that you can celebrate about yourself in 2024.

A powerful gift you can give yourself

You can take a few minutes on a regular basis — in the midst of your day, over a cup of coffee, as you start or end your day, or whenever you feel the desire for a pause.

In that small space, reflect and celebrate yourself. 

Even a few minutes several times this week, to do a bit of reflecting can be incredibly meaningful.

What might you celebrate? 

Consider how you showed up — in a difficult conversation, in a moment that called for a quick response, for a friend, with a bold voice, or any other time that you can be proud of.

Consider a goal you went for — whether it was a goal you committed to and completed or took the first step toward, appreciate yourself for that effort and commitment you made.

Consider the wisest decision you made this year — and think about what it took to make that decision. Courage? Boldness? Belief in yourself?

Consider ways you grew in 2024 — did you speak up more this year, or pursue a new skill, speak on a stage, or take on a new leadership role? Think back to January and note all the ways you stepped up and expanded.

Acknowledging yourself for all of the things that come to mind — and celebrating them! — will lift your spirits, bolster self-love, and build belief in yourself in remarkable ways.

Maybe your celebration will be to smile and savor the insights. You might want to treat yourself to something special. You might invite a special friend to reflect and share what she is celebrating, and do something special together.

Recharge your energy and see what happens

Celebrating yourself is a fabulous way to build great energy for everything you do. And, it’s a great way to start looking ahead at the new year — not only what you want to do, but knowing that you can show up positively, proudly, with optimism, and ready for great things to happen in your life.