Celebrating Milestones
By Sherry Lutz Herrington
When you’re running a business, it’s good to not only set goals, but to celebrate milestones. Stopping to look at where you’ve come from is a good reminder of all that you’ve accomplished. It’s easy to stay so focused on where you’re going and the day-to-day operations that you forget to give yourself kudos for how far you’ve come.
When you’re down in the weeds (and you-know-what is flying thick), check in and remind yourself of all you’ve accomplished. It will give you a sense of satisfaction. You will get the boost you need to keep going through the tough stuff. Sometimes it takes a little more grit than normal to get to the next goal.
I see the trail to success as stairs steps.
You start at the bottom, on the landing, and then you work super hard. Before you know it, you’ve reached a milestone. You’re on the first step and are no longer just starting out.
Then you put your head down, continue to focus on your mission. Suddenly (but not really), you’re at a new level of production and sales. You’ve made it to the next step!
If you keep making these milestones, you’ll be at the top of the stairs before you know it. Or maybe you’ll find that the top is actually a landing. After you’ve been at that level for a while, you can take off again and go up more stairs.
What I find fascinating about this is that we tend to think of business growth as a linear progression. But I haven’t found that to be precisely true.
Looking back on the growth of my business, there were definitely times when we jumped or stepped up to a new level in a short period of time. And there were times when we stayed at a certain level for some time, then took another big step to a new level.
In looking back on your business, you may find a similar pattern. The milestones that we celebrate are like each new step that we climb. Stopping to look back and recall how far you’ve come is important.
Shifting your focus long enough to gain perspective is helpful. If you’ve been at your current level for some time and don’t feel like you’re making headway, then maybe you should take a moment to reflect on all that you have achieved. Remind yourself that stairs do have landings and that maybe it’s time to look for a new goal and set your intention upon reaching the next step.
Every business is different and we all have different cycles. Taking the time to remember and celebrate all our accomplishments helps put the daily grind and hard times into perspective.
Stop and reflect.
Where did you start?
How far have you come?
And, most importantly, where are you going?
If your goal is to grow your business, then setting the steps you are reaching for in advance will help you to remember to stop and celebrate. Whether your marker is a number of years, an income goal, or some other type of goal you are reaching for, it’s a good way to envision the steps to come.
Never forget what Benjamin Franklin said:
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
Sherry and her team have recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of her company Sherrington Financial Fitness.
Sherry Lutz Herrington is the owner of Sherrington Financial Fitness, a business consulting and accounting firm specializing in strategic business planning and solid financial accounting for businesses. She is also the author of Strong Women Thriving (https://strongwomenthriving.com/), a blog which focuses on empowering women to be financially savvy, particularly after experiencing financial abuse. Sherry is currently writing a new book that both shares her personal story and addresses financial abuse. She can be reached at hello@strongwomenthriving.com.