Take Time To Celebrate [July 6, 2010]

Do you have a lot that you are trying to accomplish? Are there many steps to each of the projects that you are working on? Does it seem like you will never get to the end of the road? When you feel this way it is time for you to stop, turn around, and see how far you’ve come. When you look back you will identify milestones, small victories that have gotten you as far as you are. The question is this: Did you celebrate these successes, these small triumphs? Chances are the answer is, “No”.
So take time out now to celebrate the benchmarks. Celebration doesn’t need to be fireworks. It could be something as simple as an extra 20 minutes on the treadmill, watching a favorite program rerun, listening to your favorite song, or spending 30 minutes doing something that helps you to relax. Share your celebration with others. Let them know you have made progress and you have accomplished some critically important steps along the way to project completion.
In the future, take the time to celebrate along the way. It will be helpful to you and keep your spirits high. If you are working with a team, celebrate with the team as well—even if it is to simply sit around a “tell war stories”. Make a plan to celebrate in advance. Then, stick to it!

Not so usual celebrations:
July 6th is National Fried Chicken Day. Fried chicken is a favorite traditional American meal. Although we love fried chicken, we are beginning to eat more baked, broiled and grilled chicken than ever before. Sometimes it seems that we have forgotten Colonel Sanders finger lickin’ good chicken and settle instead, for the grilled chicken breast sandwich. But if you have a chance today, check out one of those wonderful fried chicken places—Chick Fil A, Kentucky Fried, Popeye’s and of course any restaurant that advertises both waffles and chicken in its name. If you can’t eat the chicken, at least be happy that you are not buying a chicken pumped full of salt water and instead can find wonderful Foster’s Farm chicken in most any store.
Celebrate the day with a chicken dance. Better yet, go on a picnic and have fried chicken be the main course. However you celebrate July 6th, remember that a fried chicken has given its all so you can enjoy that great taste.
As a project, divide students into groups of 4 and have them choreograph a chicken dance that they can share with the class. Give students approximately 20 minutes to prepare and then have the group reconvene to share with another and cheer each other on.