Celebrate Your Wins: The Power of Acknowledging Even Small Successes
When was the last time you paused to celebrate something you achieved?
Maybe it's been so long that you can’t even remember...
For many of us, celebrating our own success feels icky, as if we're showing off or lacking humility. Often, we think only big milestones deserve recognition, and smaller achievements slip by unnoticed.
I used to think like that too.
But I’ve had a 180-degree shift in my perspective.
Now, I challenge the notion that we must wait until we hit a significant milestone to celebrate our successes.
Instead, I believe we should normalise celebrating every small milestone along the way. Here’s why:
Why Celebrate Small Wins?
Building the Celebration Muscle: If we only reward ourselves for big achievements, we miss opportunities to practice self-appreciation. Celebrating small wins helps us get comfortable with acknowledging our efforts, so when we do reach a major milestone, it doesn’t feel alien to celebrate.
Avoiding Perpetual Goal-Post Moving: When we focus solely on the next big goal, we put ourselves in a perpetual state of feeling like we haven't done enough. This can lead to a constant sense of lack and postponing our happiness. By celebrating small wins, we appreciate our progress and break the cycle of endless striving.
Adaptability to Changing Goals: Goals often change along the way. If we haven’t celebrated the steps taken towards an initial goal, we miss the chance to acknowledge our hard work. Recognising small achievements keeps us motivated, even if the end goal evolves.
How to Celebrate Your Successes
Regularly Record and Celebrate Wins: Make it a habit to record and celebrate your wins. Some of my clients share their daily wins with me, while others do it weekly or at the start of our coaching sessions. This constant feedback loop helps internalise progress and boosts self-recognition.
Create a Rewards List: Make a list of rewards that are meaningful to you. These could be material items, experiences, or simple pleasures. When you reach a milestone, choose a reward from the list. It could be as simple as a book or as indulgent as a spa day. The key is that it should feel like a genuine reward for your efforts.
Proportional Rewards: Match your rewards to the effort and success achieved. For instance, I rewarded myself with a new pair of colorful earrings for speaking at a conference. They serve as a reminder of the doubts I overcame and now always make me smile when I wear them. When I reached a significant financial goal, I invested in a new MacBook, which marked a new era in my business. The rewards should feel proportional to the achievements, making them meaningful and motivating.
Practical Steps to Start Celebrating
Daily Wins: At the end of each day, jot down a few things you achieved, no matter how small. It could be a productive meeting, a task completed, or even a positive interaction.
Weekly Reflections: Dedicate time each week to reflect on your progress. What went well? What small steps did you take towards your bigger goals?
Reward Yourself: Use your rewards list. At the end of the week, treat yourself to something enjoyable, knowing you are worthy of reward and appreciation for your effort as well as your progress. Remember, rewards don’t have to be extravagant—they just need to be significant to you.
A Personal Invitation
So, I invite you to start celebrating your small wins. Not only will they feel fun and enjoyable, they will help you grow confidence. Celebrate small, and set yourself up to learn and grow. Don’t wait to feel worthy of celebration—take a deep breath, muster the courage, and recognise the value in each step you take.
As I continue my journey of self-awareness and self-love, sharing these lessons with you is both cathartic for me and, I hope, inspiring for you.
Thank you for being here. Remember, you have everything within you to take those small but courageous steps that lead to growing confidence - and if you’d like my help with that, consider joining my 6 month programme where I would love to celebrate you and acknowledge you for all the progress along the way as your guide and accountability parter.
Here's to celebrating all our wins, big and small!
I hope this blog post resonates with you and inspires you to start celebrating your small successes. If you have any questions or need further guidance, feel free to reach out!