It’s time to celebrate. And to grieve.

True celebration includes an acknowledgment of what doesn’t exist, what hasn’t happened, and what is missing. I want to implore you to celebrate all you’ve learned and done this year, but first, I encourage you to acknowledge what didn’t happen. What you didn’t accomplish. What you failed at.

Reflect on this school year and identify your hopes at the beginning, the dreams that didn’t manifest, and the relationships that didn’t go anywhere. Honor the sadness. Bow to it. Cry. Write down those hopes on little pieces of paper and burn them. Release them. Make an altar to what was lost, to what never materialized.

It’s only when we honor the grief that we can fully feel joy and satisfaction.

What did you create this year? What do you feel proud of? Which connections did you initiate and strengthen? What did you struggle through and surmount? What beauty, joy, and love did you cultivate?

Honor those creations and accomplishments. Make an altar to them. Dance with them when no one is watching. Sing to them in the shower. Bake them into peach pies. Scribble them in a journal and put a Post-It note on that page so you can re-read and re-read.

There is so much for you to celebrate as another school year ends. There is so much for your coachees to celebrate and for your colleagues and direct reports to celebrate. Before you guide others in those celebrations (and please do guide them), be sure to do your own processing. A Transformational Coach always attends to themselves, which means we reflect, celebrate, and grieve. Enjoy the process.