Why We Need Rituals for Celebration

Have you ever taken a class, earned a certification, or completed something really important to you? Did you pause to savor the moment? Take yourself out on a date, or do something just for fun?

Or did you check it off your to-do list and rush straight to the next thing?

For so many of us, even our biggest accomplishments get swept up in the current of busyness. We race from one goal to the next, addicted to the dopamine hit of productivity and the satisfaction of ticking something off.

But what if we had rituals—intentional moments of pause—to honor the big and small milestones along the way? What if we celebrated not just the achievement, but the journey?

Last week, I submitted my final assignment for my Master’s Degree in Positive Organizational Development from Champlain College. And soon, my family and I are flying to Vermont for commencement.

This degree has been seven years in the making.

I started the program while pregnant with my daughter—high on hormones and hope, ready to change the world. I paused it as I transitioned into motherhood and returned to a corporate role. Then, during the pandemic, I pivoted and completed a Graduate Certificate in Professional and Executive Coaching from UT Dallas instead.

Somewhere along the way, I questioned whether I still “needed” the master’s degree—especially after stepping into a successful new chapter of my career.

But here we are. May 2025. A goal I’ve had for two decades is now complete.

This final semester felt like running through mud—messy and exhausting. I’ve worked hard to bring my assignments to life. I’ve met brilliant organizational development professionals and leaders across industries. Some of my classmates and professors, I now call friends. I'm deeply grateful for this program and its focus on what’s working, on what’s possible. We need more of that in the world.

And despite the long road to get here… I didn’t plan go to the graduation ceremony. There are no direct flights from Denver to Burlington this time of year, and the whole trip felt inconvenient, maybe even unnecessary.

But when I told my daughter I was graduating and there was a ceremony, her eyes lit up—and she insisted we go. (She clearly has no idea how long these things last, but her unfiltered enthusiasm gave me the momentum I needed to make it happen.)

If I’ve done anything right as a mom, it’s this: I’ve taught her the value of celebration.

(Case in point - we throw a mini party every month for her fish’s birthday. Complete with cake. Enough said.)

And as a true maximizer, I’m making the most of this cross-country trip. On our way to Vermont, I’m stopping in NYC to celebrate the release of my memoir with some of my closest friends. Then it’s off to graduation. I’m calling it my “celebration tour.”

Because it’s not just about crossing the degree off my list. It’s about honoring the long road I walked to get here. It’s about the courage it took to start over, to stretch myself, to bet on a new life.

So, I’ll ask you:

What have you accomplished recently that deserves a moment of celebration?

Take a moment today to honor something you’ve accomplished—big or small. Share it in the comments or message me directly. I’d love to celebrate with you.

For the world needs who we were made to be.

Cheers!