04: The Lie: “I’ll Celebrate When…”

The day her podcast launched, Tania expected to feel something big. Pride. Relief. Excitement.
Instead, she moved right past it and went straight to her to-do list.

In this episode, Tania explores a pattern many of us fall into without realizing it: postponing celebration, satisfaction, and presence until some future moment that keeps moving further away.

Through a very real launch-day story, a slammed car door, and a surprisingly revealing question from her sister, she looks at how the inner critic often disguises itself as being practical, humble, or disciplined, and how that can quietly disconnect us from joy, momentum, and even the people who want to celebrate with us.

This episode is an invitation to pause, let your efforts land, and notice what shifts when you stop telling yourself, “I’ll celebrate when…”

Transcript

Speaker 0:02

The day my podcast launched, I expected to feel something very specific and I didn't. Instead I found myself moving right past it, and that's what I want to talk about today. I. Welcome to Banish the Lies, the podcast where we outsmart that sneaky inner critic and get closer to the truth that sets us free. I'm Tania Cervoni, your host and fellow work in Progress here to share real stories and small shifts that help you reclaim what fear and doubt once stole. Let's jump in. I have a question for you. How good are you at celebrating yourself? I don't mean announcing an accomplishment, I mean letting yourself feel it. And here's why I'm asking. On September 2nd, 2025, I made the decision to create this podcast. Now, it had been on my heart for a long time, but that was the day it actually shifted from a someday I will to this is actually happening. Fast forward, and by December 31st the trailer was live. And today, as I record this January 11th, 2026, my first episodes dropped. If you'd asked me a couple years ago whether launching a podcast would feel like a big deal, I would've said yes, a hundred percent. But this morning. Hmm. I woke up groggy, hadn't slept great, and my brain went straight to the to-do list, the episodes that I still needed to record the groceries, I had to buy the cleaning, all that stuff. And then one of my sisters called and asked, so what are you doing to celebrate the big launch? And I had nothing. I hadn't even thought about it to be honest. And as the day went on, um, a few more people reached out to congratulate me. I could feel, you know, their excitement. And then that same question came up again, how are you celebrating? And I just kept moving. I just kept pushing through my day like it was any other day until of course, I slammed my thumb in my car door. Hard. I am actually lucky I didn't break it, but at that point, grocery shopping just was canceled and cleaning was postponed, and I was forced to stop whether I wanted to or not because my body obviously made the call before my mind did. And as I sat there with my thumb throbbing, it really hit me how far I'd pushed without even noticing what was going on in my head. Because my inner critic was very much present and she was having a field day. Actually, I talk about it like she's one voice. It was more like a little committee. There was the performer voice saying, well, sure you could celebrate now, but like let's wait and see if anyone even listens. Then there was the vigilant voice, the one that's all about staying safe and on track. Who said don't slow down, don't get comfortable. Focus on what's next or you'll fall behind. And then there was of course, the minimizing voice, the one that shrugs and says, who do you think you are this isn't that big of a deal. And what's kind of tricky is that in the moment, none of these voices sound like they're necessarily cruel. Sometimes they sound practical or responsible or just being humble, but together they did one thing. And that was, they didn't allow me to actually let in any of the energy of celebration or accomplishment or satisfaction. Now, at some point, I decided I was at least going to do something small to be truthful. I went into Starbucks and I told the barista I wanted a really good latte, something worthy of celebrating the launch of a podcast. Well. The look on her face told me that that was not a standard order and she had no idea how to respond. In any case, I did get something yummy. I drank my very large caramel something, something latte, and it was fantastic, but that's really not the point. The moment that stayed with me came later when I thought about that call with my sister as I went about my to-do list, I could feel her excitement essentially disappear in the conversation. And that's when I realized this isn't just about me or just about us. When we rush past our own milestones and just keep on going without acknowledging them, we don't just miss the moment ourselves. We make it harder for the people who love us to share in the moment. People wanna celebrate us, and when we stay stuck in the I should and what's next, and I can't stop now. We don't necessarily come across as disciplined. I think we come across as, I don't know, what's the word Unavailable, maybe even ungrateful and disconnected from what really matters. And obviously there's a cost to that. And when I quiet the voice of my inner critic and really think about it, I don't think celebration is about losing momentum. I actually think the opposite is true. When we can move forward with a sense of joy or gratitude because we've taken a moment to let our accomplishment land, that feels very different than moving forward with just pressure, like what I was attempting to do today. You know, one carries energy and inspiration, and the other one carries weight. So if you're listening and something here feels familiar, here's my invitation. Notice where you rush past yourself, where you downplay something that once mattered a lot to you, where you tell yourself, oh, I'll celebrate when do.dot fill in the blank, and then you keep moving the finish line. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging your own effort. It doesn't make you boastful. It doesn't make you complacent. It makes you present. And if sitting with, a sense of pride or satisfaction doesn't come naturally to you, that's okay. Sometimes that discomfort is just a feeling of an old habit that needs to loosen its grip. I get it. It's uncomfortable if you're not used to doing it, but it's really important. So this week, See what happens if you let yourself celebrate your accomplishments. Those can be little moments or they can be major milestones. Just take a moment and let yourself receive it and then observe what shifts. Okay. Cheers. Thanks for listening to Banish The Lies. If today's episode resonated with you, take a moment to let it settle in. And maybe share it with a friend who could use it too. Lies, lose their power when we're brave enough to challenge them. I'm Tanya Trioni, and until next time, be kind to yourself. And remember, you're not broken, you're not alone, and you don't have to stay stuck.