milestones

Sometimes we can't help knowing that a certain anniversary is coming up if it has emotional meaning. Sometimes the way we mark time is not even overly personal, but days that have meaning for many people, such as holidays, can still feel different depending on what you have been through and what you associate with those days. Also, sometimes a milestone does not have to happen by default or fall on a particular day. We set milestones or goals for ourselves all the time, telling ourselves, "I will finish this book" or "I will go to the grocery store," like to-do lists or bucket lists. It is important to remember to celebrate little accomplishments, and try not to become obsessed with possibilities of not handling something well or not doing something "right" or "in time." It can be helpful to have a mixture of short-term and long-term, easier and harder, goals, so you consistently feel like you are living meaningfully but you also always have things to look forward to.