On Celebrating our Wins

I recently was promoted to senior corporate counsel at work. It definitely was a career milestone, and I was proud of the discipline, motivation, grit, and skill that went into achieving it. But when I truly reflected on this accomplishment and everything that it took to get there, I realized it really wasn’t just about the career win, but also very much so about the multitude of other balls I consistently, quietly, and artfully juggled behind the scenes in order to reach this goal.

As women, we lead lives that are beautiful, intertwined tapestries of all the distinct threads of our life. On any given day, not only do I show up for work, but I also am showing up for my kids, husband, parents, and friends, while still trying to stay true to myself. And any one of those facets of my life is not rewarding or fulfilling if it’s not balanced with all the others. I cannot show up as my best self at work if my children are not well cared for and my relationships with my loved ones are not nurtured. Most importantly, I cannot show as up as my best self if I have not filled my own cup by doing all the things that nourish my physical and mental health, which in my case is strength-training and tennis classes, trips and quality time with friends and family, and self-pampering and rest.

So when I celebrated my promotion at work, I not only was celebrating the career progress, but I also was celebrating my ability to expertly juggle the kids’ schedules on a daily basis to show up in the way I want to as their mom. I also was celebrating my dogged determination to regularly make it to my strength-training and tennis classes to preserve my mental and physical health. I also was celebrating my persistence in planning at least a few trips each year to nourish my spirit with adventure, inspiration, freedom, and unfiltered time with loved ones. And I also was celebrating my ability to guiltlessly make time amidst all of this to occasionally pamper myself with a pedicure, manicure, massage, shopping time, or a wholesome girls’ night. Without all these other facets of my life that I juggle behind the curtain, I would not be able to show up as the best version of myself at work, who is capable of achieving impressive things!

So next time you are celebrating a win, don’t just celebrate the win itself, but everything else that went into making that win possible! When your child achieves something wonderful, don’t just celebrate your child, but also all the hoops you jumped through to facilitate that achievement for your child, whether it be driving them around while on work calls, diligently staying on top of their schedules, or constantly ensuring they are well-rested and fed. If you hit a PR in your strength-training class, don’t just celebrate the number on the weights, but the fact that you efficiently work full days and prioritize your kids, and instead of just crashing on the couch after all that, you persistently show up to your gym classes and give them your 100%! And when you get a promotion, don’t just celebrate the new title and salary, but the fact that you are an all-around baddie who shows up at work every day to get shit done while also fabulously juggling family, friends, trips, and self-care — and you do all of that while looking good with a smile on your face!