Reflecting on Mistakes, Success, and When to Celebrate

Take Pen to Paper: Edition 100

Aug 22, 2024

Welcome to my celebration!

It’s easy to dismiss the small successes in our journeys.

The other day, when I moved up to a five-pound hand weight for shoulder presses, my first thought was, “I can’t believe I can only press five pounds.”

But then I thought, “Look at me! I’m pressing five pounds.”

Four years ago, I suffered my second frozen shoulder. At that time, I couldn’t lift my arm above my shoulder. Last fall, with flexibility regained, I started working with two-pound weights. It was hard work. I’ve more than doubled that weight.

We need to be celebrating our small successes from the start.

In this newsletter:

Keeping count.
Mistakes make success.
Celebrate along the way.

Count Streaks for Your Successes

Remember when you were a child, and you counted how many cartwheels you could do in a row or free throws that went into the basketball goal? You set the parameters of a successful trial.

We love to count our successes.

Keeping a streak count often becomes a tool for creating habits. When I started writing online, keeping the streak going was part of the goal—write and post an essay daily for 30 days. In theory, it takes 21 to 30 days to create a habit. I managed to keep my streak for 400 days and stopped counting.

It was a mistake to stop counting. I realized keeping the count was a part of being organized and finding the essays I remembered writing. Having the number in the title was a step toward better organization for me.

Keeping count was also a way to celebrate a small success.

Now, as I reread and organize those essays, I see many mistakes, but for over a year, I wrote and published one essay a day! I should have been celebrating by more than just a count.

Mistakes and Success

Even though mistakes are part of the learning process, it’s easy to be discouraged by them. They may make you want to quit or distract you from making progress.

We are often more aware of our mistakes than others.

Remember the cross-stitch Christmas stocking I’m making my granddaughter? (Take Pen to Paper: Edition 50) I’ve made many mistakes in the stitching, but I’m the only one who will know they are there when the piece is finished.

It took me a while to stop focusing on the mistakes and focus on the progress. I’m much more motivated to cross-stitch each day when I think about my progress.

It’s okay to make mistakes but focus on your progress. Progress leads to success, and both progress and success, even just a little, mean motivation to continue.

Celebrate Along the Way

Whenever I published one of my 400 essays online, a small ‘Yippee!’ would go off in my brain. I feel the same every time I work on the Christmas stocking.

We should celebrate small successes, even if they contain mistakes.

That’s how I feel about this newsletter. I’ve made plenty of mistakes. I’m not my best editor. I don’t have much experience. I’ve struggled to learn the technology (which is always changing). I would have given up long ago if I focused on that.

Each published edition, subscriber, like, and comment activates the ‘Yippee!’, making me want to show up again the next week. I normally celebrate these small successes inside my head, but this week, I want to celebrate with you.

This is edition 100 of Take Pen to Paper!

When I started, I had no idea I would last this long. Not only did I have my own doubts, there were the opinions of others making statements, like you need an audience first, then you start newsletter.

I wanted to write and share my thoughts by writing a newsletter, so I ignored all of the naysayers and started one. One hundred editions later here I am and I’m so glad I did.

I’m grateful for how much this newsletter has given me, and I am particularly grateful to have you as a reader.

You have been a part of my success and motivation to continue.

One hundred editions is a drop in the bucket compared to some newsletters, but why wait for the big milestones?

It’s up to each of us to make the decision to celebrate our successes. Only we can gauge our progress and choose what and when to celebrate. We should go ahead and celebrate our successes (small or large), embrace the motivation, and keep moving.

Here’s to my 100th edition of Take Pen to Paper! Visualize us clinking glasses of milk, the best drink to go with chocolate cake. Since that can’t be a reality, I hope you will enjoy the cupcake I painted in art class.

Do you celebrate your successes?

7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good

According to Recipes.net, chocolate cake is the most popular cake in the United States. I’m right on target with my painted chocolate cupcake. Too bad it’s not edible. Here’s the rest of the list. 🍰
I am grateful for all of the people who have touched my writing journey: my instructors, my readers, and everyone in between. ✍️📖
It’s good to recognize the value of mistakes. They remind us that we are human and teach us what to work on.
I thought this article on learning from mistakes was interesting. It makes a distinction between mistakes and failures. I’m guilty of saying they are equals. I guess I was mistaken. 🤷‍♀️
A quote: “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” - Oprah Winfrey
Cake may not be your preferred way to celebrate your successes. Here are some other ways to celebrate. 🎆
I just discovered I haven’t been using emojis since January! Why hasn’t someone called me out on it?🤦‍♀️

Thank you for reading. This week, find a small success to celebrate. You deserve it!

Until next time,

💚

Susan

Do you have a success you would like to share with me? Leave a comment and let me know. I would love to read about it.

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