020. Chris Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC 

Our brains are wired for negativity. That's pretty helpful in evolutionary terms, but sometimes it can makes us awfully cranky. It's easy to get bogged down by all the stresses and strains of daily life. Why should we celebrate when there's so much bad in the world?

If we approach the question from that angle, we've got it backwards.

Let's flip it. Given all the stresses and strains of daily life, aren't warm hugs, gorgeous sunsets, and puppy kisses all the more amazing?

Doesn't it feel awesome when we're able to connect with and serve our clients? And how great is it that their pets have people who love and care about them?

Chris Pachel, DVM, DACVB, makes a real effort to celebrate his wins, especially the smaller, daily wins.

We all understand big wins, like scoring a promotion, finishing a degree, or reaching a fitness goal, but those don't happen on a daily basis.

But every day, good things happen in your life that you may not notice when your brain is scanning the environment for bad stuff. 

What constitutes a small, everyday win in your life?

• What's a good commute? Arriving in a specific time frame? Getting a set number of green lights?
• When is a client appointment a win? If you shoot for 100% compliance, you're likely to have fewer wins than if your goal is clear communication and the client understanding the treatment plan
  
• What's a win with your colleagues? Getting three people to smile at work? Meeting a task-related benchmark?

Odds are good that you haven't defined your daily wins at this level.

I sure hadn't. I'm all about appreciation and gratitude, but somehow I never asked myself what a win would look like with small, daily tasks such as these.

Listen in for a lively discussion of how you can find more joy in your live by actively, deliberately, consciously celebrating small wins.

Learn more about Dr. Pachel's work at  the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, OR.