You don’t have to be a smashing success to celebrate. You don’t need to achieve perfection to have a party. It’s totally okay to be thankful for and celebrate the half-way points. In fact, I've come to believe that appreciating those tiny markers of success are so important. (If only because they occur with a bit more frequency in life, if nothing else.)

You probably have experienced those half-way moments before, “I made it through midterms”, “I finally started that project”, “My life crisis isn’t rapidly getting worse”. Things may not be entirely perfect, but they are good enough for this current moment. You have not reached the destination or final goal, but you achieved a something, a section, a halfway point.

Good for you! A goal or an ambition doesn’t need to be completely achieved to take a moment to be joyful about how far you've come.

I'm always focused on the big picture in my life; securing that dream job and finishing my degree are the ambitions that are consuming me now. Realistically I know there are a million little steps to get to the place I want to be. But my heart just seems to be waiting for that final moment of victory. I can't seem to warble a tune of thankful joy, since I'm nowhere near done with most of my life ambitions.

Those million little steps to final victory are so important however. If you're involved in a giant life process of some sort, (which I'm guess most humans are) take the time to appreciate and savor those tiny moments of victory that are on the path to the ultimate destination of your dreams.

You wrote THE THING but it isn't edited or published yet. That's wonderful, take a moment to celebrate; you produced THE THING.

You started a medical treatment, that hasn't started helping you yet. That's wonderful, take a moment to celebrate, you're on the right track and have secured some medical assistance.

You fought and struggled for a B+ on your midterm. That's wonderful, take a moment to celebrate, you achieved something that at the beginning of the semester you never thought feasible.

You don't have to be at the finish line to appreciate the awesomeness of doing whatever awesome thing you are doing or working through.

You also don't have to have a giant party or create some elaborate celebratory ritual.

A Facebook post. A nice cup of coffee or a special food for dinner. Getting a hug from your favorite person. Writing yourself a note or journal entry.

There's no need to go all out and make a expensive mess or anything. Just take a moment to look behind you and savor how far you've come. You are amazing and fabulous because you took the initiative and got started. Celebrate and savor this partial victory.

Then, grit your teeth and take a look at the road ahead because you haven't reached the final destination.

Yet.