With all the daily bustle and grind we put ourselves through; the thankless tasks, the hardships no one else sees, the constant nagging feeling of having something else to do…it can be hard to focus when life gets busy or rush. But when we have an overwhelmingly long list of tasks and commitments, we must also remember to take a little time to stop and celebrate the wins in life.

Admit it! How often do you throw your hands up in the air, jump up and down and scream at the top of your lungs ‘I got the kids to bed on time!‘. Probably never. And though this might be partly due to not wanting to wake said children up again, its because you probably also think it’s not an accomplishment worth shouting about. And I’m here to tell you it is!

Whilst I have endured an unintended hiatus from my blogging over the last six (million) months or so, it seemed like something to regret because during that time I felt like I was missing out on something that was important to me. I was, let’s be true here but I was also on a journey that would have amazing results in all aspects of my life. So it was worth the sacrifice.

The reality is, today as I take up blogging again, I can afford to celebrate any number of things, not least of which is the opportunity to start writing up all the ideas I have for this site (and there are a lot of them!). I can also celebrate my perseverance and drive, determination, achievement and a personal commitment to myself that should be in everyone’s hearts.

I did it for me.

So what have I been doing that has had me so long away from producing content for all my lovely readers? Please put down the pitchforks before burning me alive, because whilst I’ve been away I achieved my dream…

Though at the moment I cannot spill the beans on the project I was working on, what I can tell you is it has paved the way to some very consequential doors opening for me. Not only this but it has taught me something of my true capabilities as a writer; my stamina, my determination, my creativity, my skills – all of these above and beyond what I originally thought, and I am so grateful for the experience and how it has helped me to grow as a person.

With my project having only been finished at 6:32am yesterday morning after an all-nighter, I can say with confidence that despite it being one of the hardest things I have ever had to do on my own, it is also one of the achievements I will count in my top ten forever. Rolling in at 139,813 words and over 800+ hours of writing and research, it was a passion project from hell. But I loved every minute of it. Yes, it ran a LOT longer than I originally thought it would, and when your writing at 3 O’clock in the morning and all you want to do is sleep, then yes, its not as fun…but I can say with more conviction than anything I have ever said before this day- I WON.

Of course, I haven’t just been writing one book for the last however long it has been since I last posted (sorry again). I have also taken, what henceforth and forever shall be known as The Leap. I took a chance on myself and quit my day job as a housekeeper, and leaped into my own full-time freelance writing business. Again I can say I have had success, though it has come with some setbacks, sacrifices and many, many learning curves. I’m not sure how I knew it was the right time to start betting on myself, but I do know that I was fed up of losing all the time. Well maybe not losing, but I wasn’t winning either.

My previous life, whilst not bad, was frustrating. I had hopes, dreams, and ambitions and it always seemed like something was lurking behind the corner to prevent them. Every time I found my excuses not to do something, or any number of things got in the way of my writing time, I would get upset. It always felt like a setback and that no matter how I hard I tried, the things I craved would never come to me. But that is the lesson of perseverance, and with grit, hard work and the ability to see beyond the bad too when things go right, well, there is no end to what you can achieve.

This is why I am writing this post today, dear readers; because I want to share with you my win; not for praise, nor purposes of vanity you understand but to reassure you that whatever it is you are dreaming about, yearning for and whatever ambitions you hold…

They are closer then you think!

And they might surprise you more then you would have thought possible. Nothing in life is so far out of reach that it can’t be yours, and whilst I am an advocate for striving on a daily basis for the things you want, today I would like to encourage everyone to stop, think and celebrate their wins. No matter how small or trivial they might seem to others, a win is a win, embrace it. If its remembering to make the bed or swap out the milk, I don’t mind. A graduation or finally getting the keys to a new car, you have to shout about it.  But I do what you to celebrate. Because your quote “Worth It”. its not about making others green in the face over your success, its about sharing what you can do with the world, and holding up the candle of potential to others, so that they can see their dreams come to fruition. And because recognizing what your doing right paves the way to learning from what you’ve done wrong, and that can only lead to success, better judgment, and a happier outlook on life.

Self-improvement is a stepping stone, but it won’t lead you to achievement if you don’t stop to recognize your win. 

And after all, do you really need an excuse to celebrate life?

I’d love to hear what achievements, big or small, you are celebrating at the moment, so please, if you have time, leave me a comment below.