If there’s one thing I love, it’s BIRTHDAYS… and today is my birthday! YAY!

My former boss, Nickie Avery, told me to use my birthday to think about the past, present and future. She used to ask 3 questions (which I am probably not quoting verbatim, but this is the list of what it has morphed into for me):

1. What’s one special thing that you’re going to do for yourself today?
2. What’s one thing that you’d like to do in the coming year?
3. What’s one thing to celebrate that you accomplished over the past year?

Here are my answers to these 3 questions:

TODAY:  I am going to indulge in my favorite meal that I usually have on every birthday. It’s not glamorous. It’s not fancy. But it’s exactly what I want every single year…pizza and ice cream.  Only, I confess that it’s evolved from take-out Domino’s pepperoni pizza and Baskin Robbins mint chocolate chip ice cream cake that I loved as a child to a more digestive system-friendly version of Udi’s gluten-free pizza and So Delicious coconut ice cream. YUM!

IN THE COMING YEAR: I have (gratefully!) checked so many things off of my list this past year that I can’t even think too far into the future yet. (That may sound like a cop-out, but it’s the truth.) I want some #breathingroom to pause for a moment with biz plans because in the next 5 months I’m traveling for work (and for play!) EVERY 2 WEEKS – including to:

• Kelowna, British Columbia – to speak at Center Stage Live
• Columbus & Cincinnati, Ohio – for my niece’s graduation
• Seattle – to speak at Dr. Keesha Ewers’ event
• San Diego (twice!) – for Mike Koenigs’ & Ed Rush’s Mastermind and JJ Virgin’s Mindshare Summit
• Frankfurt, Germany – to visit my stepdaughter Meghan
• Rock Hill, NY – to speak at Camp GLP
• Nova Scotia, Canada – with my parents and hubby for vacation
• New York City – to speak at Flourish & Thrive LIVE
• Las Vegas – to speak at From Passion to Profits Live
• Napa Valley – for Mike Koenigs’ & Ed Rush’s Mastermind

Whew! I’m excited to see new places but NOT excited about packing and unpacking my suitcase a bazillion times!

OVER THE PAST YEAR: You undoubtedly know that it’s been BANANAS the past few months with the re-launch of my website lisafraley.com and my free “Legal Pickles” webinar series in March, the publication of my book Easy Legal Steps…That Are Also Good For Your Soul in April, and speaking live in a fully-memorized “mini-TED-talk” on stage in May. These were some of the hardest things I have ever done in my life…and I’m calling each one a WIN for the year!

And as I celebrate today, I want to encourage you to celebrate YOUR wins by sharing an excerpt from Easy Legal Steps…That Are Also Good For Your Soul  from Chapter 3:

“Take a moment to celebrate your recent big wins and your teeny-tiny steps forward in your business and allow yourself to fully honor what you’ve accomplished. Acknowledge what you’ve checked off your to-do list to expand and grow your business.

Own your wins (big and small) and remind yourself of what you’ve already accomplished.

In this fast-paced, 24-hour news cycle and one-second-attention-span universe, we rarely take the time to let ourselves bask in the glory of our work after we accomplish a goal. We’re so quick to dismiss our win, check it off the list, and move on to the next task that we forget to appreciate how much we’ve achieved.

Celebrate the fact you’ve launched a new website, spoken on stage, sent your very first e-newsletter, or landed your first client. Raise a glass to yourself, lean into your pride, and say ‘I did it!’ Feeling and celebration for how far we’ve come keeps us moving in the right direction.”

And when you’re not feeling so clear or confident about your wins…here’s a little food for thought:

“Take a moment to think about something you accomplished when you felt proud of yourself. It doesn’t matter what it was. What matters is that you felt confident. Maybe you:

• Got good grades in school
• Marked a milestone like a graduation or anniversary
• Hit a home run as a kid
• Love being a social butterfly and the life of the party
• Won an academic, athletic, or artistic award
• Can be whip-smart on computers
• Volunteered or did random acts of kindness for others
• Got promoted quickly at work
• Ran a marathon—or went from the couch to a 5k (or just around the block)”

What are YOU celebrating that you’ve accomplished today?

And what about in the past year? What would you still like to accomplish in the coming year? I’d love to hear about your wins and celebrate them with you! Feel free to comment below.

Here’s to celebrating birthdays with pizza and ice cream (no matter how old you are!) and to celebrating our BIG WINS!

I’m so excited to be featured in the Summer Issue of Shining Mentor Magazine, along with my wonderful clients and friends Lana Shlafer, Julie Santiago and Siobhan McAuley!   My article is titled “How Easy Legal Steps Can Actually Support Your Chakras.” If you’re a woman who wants to make the world a better place, this magazine is for you! Read it here.