Graham McGregor: Two things to celebrate in 2012

The first thing you should celebrate from the last 12 months is the many successes you will have enjoyed. Photo / Thinkstock

It is now very close to the end of 2012 which means a brand new year is starting soon.

Something I've found very helpful to do is to take some time and celebrate two important things in every 12 month period of your life.

The first thing you should celebrate from the last 12 months is the many successes you will have enjoyed: By successes, I mean anything that you did or experienced in the last 12 months that made you feel good about yourself.

These successes can be big and small. (Both are important to acknowledge.)

A good way to celebrate these successes is to write them down.

Examples:

In the last 12 months I have enjoyed a lot of successes. Here are just a few of them...

* I have had hundreds of people from all around the world have contact me and tell me how they have enjoyed my weekly marketing columns in the Herald. (A big thank you to everyone who took the time to share their feedback. I really appreciate it.)

* I got a brand new computer that is twice as good as my previous one.

* I've met some lovely people as a result of getting into cycling.

As you can see, the successes you celebrate on your list don't have to be big things. They can just be things you did or experienced that made you feel good about yourself.

The second thing you should celebrate from the last 12 months are the various 'Learning Lessons' you will have experienced.

Learning lessons are what I call the experiences that you didn't like or enjoy that much.

Example:

At the beginning of 2012 I began rediscovering the pleasures of cycling as a fun way to get fit. About six weeks after getting started I made a foolish mistake and rode down a steep and winding hill three times faster than was appropriate.

The result was messy as I lost control on a sharp bend and hit a roadside bank at just over 65 kilometres an hour. I wrote off my bike and did some rather painful damage to my own body at the same time. (3 broken ribs, a fractured scapula, a fractured clavicle and various assorted lacerations and bruises.)

I spent a few days in hospital and was sent home with a huge amount of painkillers and other drugs to help me mend my badly damaged and very sore body. I was fully recovered in just over 8 weeks' and I'm very grateful I didn't kill myself or have far more serious injuries coming off a bicycle at that speed.

When I think about my experience I learned some valuable learning lessons.

I learned the critical importance of having good health. The 8 weeks I spent with my broken bones mending were both painful and frustrating. So I now don't take foolish physical risks that could potentially injure me. And I also take time every week to eat well and do some regular exercise.

I also learned the value of having a good database of people who liked my ideas and that I was in regular contact with. I found that I could still use this database to do business even though I was injured and confined to my home for quite some time.

I highly recommend you take time to celebrate some successes and learning experiences in your own life as well.

'The more you praise and celebrate your life; the more there is in life to celebrate.' - Oprah Winfrey

Action Exercise:
Write down 20 or more successes, big and small, you've had in 2012. (This is a great way to end the year on a high note.)

Write down at least three learning lessons you've gained in 2012 that did not go as well as you wanted them to. (This allows you to learn something positive and helpful from any 'less than desirable experiences' you've had during this time.)

Graham McGregor is a marketing consultant and the creator of the 396 page 'Unfair Business Advantage Report.' www.theunfairbusinessadvantage.com (This is free and has now been read by business owners from 27 countries.) You can email him at the link above.