May is the month of graduation ceremonies from kindergarten, to high school and college. These graduation ceremonies mark the end of one stage of life and the beginning of the next stage. This is an exciting time in our lives – a time of hope, a time of celebration and a time to remember how far we have come.

As we come in to this season of celebrations and new beginnings, consider the stage of your life that you are leaving behind or graduating from, and the next stage you are graduating toward. My son is graduating from high school and will be moving on to the next stage of his life, college. As his parent, his graduation means it is a graduation for me, too. I get to graduate from being “the mom” with all of the responsibilities of raising a child, from volunteering to help at all of his school activities to managing his appointments and schedule. I am graduating toward more time to focus on things that I want to do! I have a number of projects that I am looking forward to working on and completing (scrapbooking; organizing, copying and labeling home movies; genealogy, etc.). I am looking forward to scheduling more time for exercise, fun and friends. I will spend more time reading and dating my husband. I am excited about graduating to the next stage of my life!

What are you looking forward to in your next stage? What do you need to celebrate about the stage you are leaving behind? Take time to remember the good things about the stage you are graduating from and celebrate all that you have accomplished in that stage of your life. Have a “graduation party” for yourself! Invite people in your life who love you, support you and encourage you. Happy Graduation!

This article was posted in the Coach's Corner of the ASTD Newsletter for May 2015. You can reach Kolleen through this website, Linked In, Facebook or by calling her at (402) 499-5547. She offers workshops, small groups and individual life coaching on a variety of topics to help you create the life you dream of but haven't been able to achieve.