There are seasons when you’ll have to work hard. You’ll launch something new. You’ll make a change. You’ll push towards a finish line.

During that time, there will be early mornings when you’ll be the first one at the office. You’ll turn the lights on, make a cup of coffee, write your to-do list, and then begin.

There could be days when your schedule is impossibly full of meetings and personal errands. It’ll feel like you’re sprinting from one place to the next. Time will disappear. You’ll wonder how you got it all done.

There may be nights when you eat a late dinner. Just a few bites. Then you’ll read or you’ll watch or you’ll scroll or you’ll just sip a cup of tea while thinking about tomorrow. You’ll fall asleep as you’re placing your head on your pillow.

Those seasons will stretch you.

You’ll face doubts and fears and criticism and you’ll wonder if it’s all worth it.

The only way you’ll make it through those sprints is if you pause to celebrate the wins.

Why Celebrate?

When you take time to celebrate, you reinforce what you truly value. What you believe.

If all you do is work, and “grind,” and perform, you are stating that you believe productivity is most important. Which is fine, but that belief is temporary and draining. It always comes to an end (ie: hooray for getting older).

Sense of Purpose

Taking moments to pause is a reminder to yourself and those around you that there are more valuable things than just production. Celebrating things like personal growth, new relationships, new lessons, and glimpses of beauty and art — all create ties between your daily work and a deeper sense of purpose and value.

Greater Resilience

Celebration also fosters our sense of gratitude, the healthiest emotion we can exhibit. Gratitude is part of what builds resilience during times of challenge. Pausing to celebrate and be grateful is like adding oil to a car. It keeps everything running smoothly.

Recently, at Experience Institute...

The beginning of the school year is always our biggest lift. And this year has been one of the biggest yet.

We launched our first class of Experience Lab, kicked off our newest class at Stanford, produced and funded a new deck of cards on Kickstarter, and have begun teaching a load of new programs for companies.

It’s been wild.

For us, we take time nearly every Monday to celebrate our progress, personally and professionally. It’s called the Monday Stand and it's one of our most sacred times because it's how we keep the Ei engine running smooth.

What & How Will You Celebrate?

Now it's your turn. What are you celebrating? Personally, as a family, or as a team? What will you do to remove yourself from the hustle to show gratitude, and reinforce what you really believe.

It doesn’t take a big gesture. It doesn't have to include a party, or a trip, or a gift. It may just take a few moments at the beginning of a meal, a day, or a week. And it can happen sooner than you think. Maybe even today.

Happy Wednesday,

Victor

PS: Tonight (Wednesday) at midnight, the Kickstarter for What's Worth Doing comes to a close.

If you haven't had a moment to jump in, now's your chance! Just click here to pre-order yours. Thanks for helping give this new idea such a great start!