Celebrate the Wins!

Turning to-dos into ta-das

Written by Jess, Edited by Jenna

My dad loved the song “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang. I can still see him dancing (maybe a bit offbeat?!) with a huge grin, singing… “cel-a-brate good times, come on!”

In my family, we always celebrated accomplishments, and it’s a tradition I’ve kept alive in my own home. Yes, the big wins, but even the small ones (and the failures, too)! From dance performances to golf tournaments to finishing a big assignment to the first or last day of school to trying something new - we often ask, “How are we going to celebrate?”

Interestingly, Jenna and I noticed something. Many of our students didn’t celebrate their wins. And there were plenty of them to celebrate! They were too focused on moving on to accomplish the next big thing. Very common for high-achievers.

So instead of just focusing on to-do lists, we started teaching them about a ta-da list. And they loved it! A list of all of the things accomplished in the last day, week, or even year.

The wins don’t all have to be big or monumental. It could be simple things. Going for a walk. Catching up with a friend. Booking that flight. Raising your hand in class. Signing up for a workshop. Trying a new recipe.

Recently, I have been meeting many students in individual career coaching sessions. Often they are feeling stressed. Totally understandable. Being an MBA comes with a lot of pressure, ambiguity, and anxiety. But when I ask them to tell me a win or two they have had over the last week, the mood in the meeting shifts instantly. They smile. They relax. They perk up.

According to the book, The Gap and The Gain, “success is measured by looking backwards at what you have accomplished.” Often, we are so focused on the gap or comparing to the ideal that we forget to notice the gains or how much we have already achieved.

As the year starts to come to a close, now is a perfect time to reflect on your wins in 2025. Launching Glimmers was definitely a big one for us. I know my dad is looking down, dancing and singing… “cel-a-brate, good times!”

Next steps:

• Start a ta-da list! Write down 3 wins from today (or this week/month/year)

• Then write down 3 wins you want to accomplish tomorrow