Every week is a rat race in my house. Between work, writing, baby, and life, it’s a miracle anything is done. Forget about staying on top of the heap of dishes and piles of laundry. That’s a dream I gave up on a long time ago.
In the spirit of busy, I waited until the day my SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) recertification was due. It’s required once every three years, so I should have been on top of it, but nope. Even with a three-month extension due to the pandemic, I waited until the due date. On the phone with the HRCI (Human Resources Certification Institute), I frantically attempted to gather my data over the last three years and successfully enter it online.
To my surprise, the only item I needed to receive all of my recertification credits was a copy of my CPC (Certified Professional Coach) certificate. Yay!
But, no. I had NO idea where to find it.
No, it wasn’t hanging on my wall proudly displayed in a frame, which is where it should have been. Worse, I had recently rearranged my office, with many items left in piles to sort through and purge, so it could have literally been ANYWHERE.
Panic ensued. Time had run out. Like a character in one of my thrillers, I raced against the clock to prevent the unthinkable: losing my certification. No WAY was I going to go to take that nearly impossible test again. I had to find the certification. NOW.
After a strategic search, it appeared under a pile of papers in a plastic bin. My shoulders fell. My CPC was STILL in its original packaging.
I carefully pulled it out and admired three lines: Kristina C Rienzi. Certified Professional Coach. iPEC gold seal. Then I read the blurb after my name stating I had met the ICF (International Coach Foundation) requirements of 153 hours…and stopped.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE HOURS
After a year of working toward my certification, with 153 hours of training, I never even opened the mail to hold what I’d worked so hard to achieve. I never celebrated my success. Why not?
I had earned my CPC, something I will always be very proud of, yet I NEVER celebrated my achievement. The certification lay under a pile of unimportant papers in my office, hidden from sight.
That’s when it hit me. This had been a common theme in my life. With each book release, I was onto the next book. Never celebrating my success. I decided at that moment, it was not okay for me to live that way any longer. I refused to live in a rat race, moving from thing to thing and never really appreciating or celebrating any of it.
I’m currently searching for the perfect frame for my CPC, as well as my SPHR, SHRM-SCP, and other certifications and degrees to PROUDLY hang in my home office. I want to be reminded that when I set my mind to something, I achieve it. Especially for my daughter, I want to teach her to work hard and never give up on her dreams. Most importantly, to celebrate every single success.
Life is meant to be enjoyed. Celebrations not only make YOU feel good, but they give hope to others who are chasing their dreams. If not for you, do it for those you love, those who you inspire without even knowing.
No matter how big or small your success, CELEBRATE IT! Don’t let it collect dust under a pile of papers in your office like my dream did. It’s not doing your dream justice or honoring all you did to achieve it.
Celebrate your success. Every single one! You deserve it.
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