5 ways to celebrate the good day
5 ways to celebrate the good day
How was your day today? The ever-important question that is far too often met with a flat, empty, procedural “good,” failing to celebrate the good day, as it should be. Let’s for a moment imagine the power of this question. The personal nature and the opportunity to share authentically our thoughts and feelings, and how we can use it as a means of advancement in every facet of our lives. To do this, however, we must ask ourselves, “How was your day?”
How do we celebrate a good day?
Imagine it’s 6:30 pm, and we are reflecting on a good day. After all, our tasks are accomplished, no major tragedies in the news, we’re all caught up with friends, and the traffic actually wasn’t too bad today. By all conventional measurements, it was a good day. But something was missing- the pride and contentment we felt when we were younger. After we accomplished a difficult task or worked diligently to overcome a seemingly impossible undertaking. But, we find it difficult to celebrate this good day, because it has become the norm.
How do we regain that pride in celebrating the good day? How do we reignite that fire we once had for an unexpected B+ on a test we were so certain we would fail? Where is the fire? More importantly, how do we know we are still on our right path? Sometimes the path we planned has been traveled successfully, and it is time to start a new one. How do we know when?
Together, let’s explore five points that will help us evaluate our day openly and honestly with ourselves as we sit at 6:30 pm after a good day. A simple checklist to help us better understand ourselves and areas to celebrate throughout our lives.
Did you feel purposeful?
Purpose in this context is knowing the “why” behind your actions and decisions. It is normal to get stuck on what we are doing and how we are doing it, but having a powerful why keeps us focused and reminds us what we enjoy about our lives. Maybe the purpose you felt today was the passion for your work, or that the job you are doing allows you to take care of your family or future. Only when we understand why we are doing something are we able to connect our actions throughout the day with our goals and contentment in our lives.
Were tasks completed on time?
Did you do things when you said you would do them? Not for the sake of anyone else, but for you and your heart. If we truly care about something, we will do it when we say we will. If we find that is not the case, it is time to 1) find the meaning or, 2) chart a new path to a more meaningful endeavor. Sometimes we underestimate the time a task would take, but one rule of thumb I find relevant here is “once is a mistake, twice is a choice.”
Was your communication effective?
A large part of becoming successful is learning how to effectively deal with other people. The clothes we wear, how we shake hands, or even the tones of our emails are all forms of communication. We are always learning and improving how to connect with each new person we meet, and communicating effectively for our audience is paramount to our success.
Were opportunities for failure embraced?
Everything you currently know is a summation of everything you choose and have chosen to fail at. We just failed at it enough times until we were successful. We must learn to take the guilt or shame out of failure and replace it with growth. Personally, writing hasn’t been a strength of my career, but right now I am embracing, as much as I can’ the opportunity to explore new and exciting mediums other than public speaking! This is a deep and wide-ranging area that I will address further in my next article.
Did you ask questions and show gratitude?
Along the way, when we fail, we must have the confidence to address those failures. To do this it takes bold actions and questions. From as simple as googling someone we did not know, to asking s trusted friend or colleague for honest feedback on a series of actions you took that did not produce the desired result. Then after that process of growth, thanking those that supported you is one of the most important and humbling steps to take. It also reminds us how far we have come.
These five questions will help us frame a picture in our minds of the parts of our day that were meaningful, challenging, and even enjoyable. They allow us to see our day as more than good; we see it as a precious slice of our lives to be celebrated and reflected upon. I wish you all many wonderfully purposeful days now and in your future!
If you would like expanded discussions of these points, you can watch my TEDx Talk “How was your day today?”
