Can I put the cake in your hand?

My granddaughter turned one yesterday.

My wife, Regi, and I are excited to travel to her birthday party this weekend.

But, for my granddaughter, she’s not really going to understand why everyone is around her cheering.

She’s just going to get to eat cake and have a good time.

Cue the fist-fulls of cake.

It’s gonna be awesome.

Yet, as I look back on the past year, I remember so many little milestones.

Our daughter has kept us up to speed with almost daily photos.

I remember getting the call that my daughter was going into labor.

I remember driving with my wife toward my daughter and her husband with great anticipation.

I remember holding my granddaughter for the first time.

I remember seeing her sit up.

I remember watching her eat eggs for the first time.

I remember seeing her take her first steps.

So many amazing little celebrations while my granddaughter has been growing in her first year.

My granddaughter, on the other hand, has been oblivious.

She has just been very busy growing and learning.

As business owners, we too, can sometimes be oblivious to the small (and big) wins we experience while our heads are down growing and learning.

If you’ve been grinding and feel like the growing and learning is never ending,

Pause for a moment and look in the rear view mirror.

Take an inventory of what you have accomplished this past year.

What new skills did you learn?

What new problem did you learn how to solve?

What new process did you implement?

What new client are you grateful for?

Take a moment to acknowledge the good, hard work you’ve been doing.

Celebrate the fact that you are in a different place now than you used to be.

My granddaughter will have many, many more birthdays to celebrate, God-willing.

But, that doesn’t make this weekend’s celebration any less significant.

We will be eating cake with her this weekend.

I will eat a bite of cake in celebration of you and what you’ve achieved this year.

I hope you take a moment to celebrate to.

You’ve earned it.

You deserve it.