I did the Snoopy dance in the middle of the office today. In fact, I did the rubber chicken, then the Snoopy dance, and then I sprinted the all of ten feet between my office and the conference room where Jon sat and practically blew out his eardrums as I skidded to a stop in the doorway and announced that I had, in fact, accepted a final document that I've been working to obtain for darn well near forever.

There's something momentus about accomplishing every goal set in front of you at your initial hiring on a job. Whether it's to sell eighteen houses by your third month or stuff four hundred and fifty pillows for a major manufacturer or landing a huge legal contract with the government, that laundry list that we all get at the outset of our new position is something that niggles in the back of the brain, whispering, "You still have to get me done... I'm still here... Your performance eval is going to be awful if I'm still on it..."

It's easy to lose steam on that corporate to-do list, especially when you don't know why or how those goals were set for you. If you don't care, they're not going to get done, and that's really the bottom line.

Let's face it: We all deal with these awful personal deadlines that weigh so heavily on our souls, and when they finally come through, we smile serenely, nod if acknowledged, and go about our day without making so much as a ripple in the pond of our occupations. But inside... Inside, we're having a grand ol' hoe down in the middle of the cube farm, standing on the desk and kicking our heels up! Inside, we're doing the rubber chicken dance in the touchdown zone. Inside, as each of these items are pecked from the list, we're so happy we can hardly breathe.

Am I right?

You know I'm right.

And when that laundry list is completed, ready to be crumpled up and three-pointed into the circular filing cabinet, suddenly, the future seems so much easier to face, the stresses of running around and trying to get that LAST phonecall in are gone, the boss is happy, and you can enjoy your weekend.

I finally hit that point here at AR. I took this job because I KNEW that I was going to love working here (as said in yesterday's post about staying positive); I knew this job was mine. A little over a year later, that stupid list is all crumpled up and binned, and I feel about twenty pounds lighter. However much as I'm in a celebratory mood, I have to say that this isn't a pat-on-the-back sort of article, so I'll get to the point:

Just as being happy is a mindset, setting personal accomplishments is the perfect way to gauge yourself in your position, to measure your growth and development, to motivate and focus you toward that light at the end of your laundry list tunnel. We're often faced with huge tasks when taking on any job, whether it's being hired somewhere or taking on the burden of extra work, and sometimes, they may seem insurmountable as we bang up against brick walls time and time again.

Tireless doggedness and absolute resilience against accepting the word "no" is the best and only way to push through; though a hoe-down on the desktop may not be the best way to express yourself at work, celebration is just as much a part of the process as determination. Allow yourself to have that celebration inwardly and more importantly, outwardly. I suppose I'm lucky that I work for somewhere awesome like ActiveRain, that allows me to run and skip and laugh and jump (and yes, even do a few Hammer-esque side to side shuffles), but I have to tell you.... Celebration is the sweetest bite of that Last-Item pie.

The world would be a better place if we could all moonwalk when we "done good", so take the time to reward yourself with a little celebration now and again, regardless of what wide-eyed stares you may receive for your Betty Davis eyes.