In our daily grind, we set ambitious goals. We fear failure. We hate losing. We stress about meeting expectations. We make sacrifices. We burn ourselves out. Then, we get our results. After briefly acknowledging the results, we move on, and we repeat the process all over again. Something seems to be missing from this never ending loop.
We have to spend some time celebrating the wins.
Last week, Jordan and I had the honor to attend Beckman Coulter’s “Inner Circle” Rewards trip in Vienna, where a select group of last year’s top sales performers from Jordan’s company celebrated their 2018 success. It was a week unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of. Horse drawn carriage rides, ballroom dancing at royal palaces, and fancy dinners on private trains isn’t typically my style, but for one special week…why not?
Amidst all of the extravagance and entertainment, I recognized all of the hard work that these top performers put into getting these results. I also know that hard work doesn’t always pay off. I remembered every other year where the same inputs weren’t quite enough for Jordan to qualify for the trip. This reinforced some important lessons that I learned from the celebration:
1. When you win/succeed and you have the chance to celebrate, make sure you soak in every moment. Remember what went into the journey and why you deserve to take in the fun.
2. Embrace those that supported you along the way and share that celebration and success with others.
3. Finally, don’t take these celebrations for granted because you don’t know when you’ll have the opportunity to feel quite like this again.
Celebrating this way creates a virtuous cycle. You begin to remind yourself of the celebration when it’s time to make that extra call. You become more hungry to go above and beyond and more likely to get in the trenches. You remember the feeling you had at Inner Circle the next 10 times you get rejected, and you keep moving forward. Your support system also becomes invested in the process to be part of the next celebration.
It doesn’t have to be an over the top trip to Vienna. Perhaps, sitting on the deck with a bottle of wine, or taking a walk in the park is sufficient. But whatever you do, celebrate the win. Recognize the accomplishment. Bask in the moment for a little bit before you move on to the next thing.
With that said, how will you celebrate your wins? How will these celebrations contribute to your resilience along the journey?
Congratulations to Jordan and the 2019 Beckman Coulter Inner Circle. It was a truly special celebration, I was honored to be part of it, and I’ll never forget the experience. Thank you Jordan for all of the work that you put in to earn it, and for taking me on this adventure. I hope we can do it again in the future.
The Janiec Reflection 
Great stuff man!!!
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