We like to celebrate. But do we celebrate enough? We celebrate the big stuff – promotions, engagements, project completions, new houses – but what about all the other things along the way? The truth is that it is the other stuff that leads us to these big moments. What if we started to pay attention to, acknowledge, and even celebrate the steps along the way?
Why celebrate?
When you celebrate, you:
- Learn & grow – celebration allows you to identify what works and why. This allows you to draw from that and do more of what works. You will also be able to recognise what doesn’t work (and why) and release it – saving you valuable time and energy that would otherwise have been wasted.
- Develop your mindset – acknowledging your progress will allow you to cultivate the mindset that supports future progress.
- Increase your motivation – allow your progress so far to give momentum to the path ahead. Rather than only paying attention to how much further you have to go, acknowledge how far you have come.
- Share your success – through celebrating you will inadvertently give others permission to acknowledge and celebrate progress also. Celebration can lead to greater connection and a sense of community (shared experience, learning from each other, inspiration).
Does this mean I need to make a massive deal every time something goes right? Yes and no. It is about making a conscious effort to pause, reflect, and acknowledge the steps that you take along the way. When you do this you can choose to make a “big deal” about it if you like – even if you do so in a small way. The truth is, it’s your success, so own it!
So how do we go about celebrating? The easiest and most effective way to increase your practice of celebration is to plan to celebrate. In coaching terms, this plan is referred to as a ‘Celebration Structure’.
How to create a Celebration Structure:
- Make a conscious decision to celebrate throughout your goal or project.
- Decide on the key milestones that you will celebrate.
- Choose how you will celebrate each milestone (including a larger celebration on completion).
- Follow your plan!
This plan or Celebration Structure will encourage your practice of celebration into other areas of your life as well.
32 Simple Ways to Celebrate
- Share a success with someone.
- Start a daily ‘Success Journal’ – today I achieved…
- Take a moment to reflect on how far you have come.
- Thank someone who supported you.
- Accept a compliment.
- Book a date with yourself.
- Book a date with someone else.
- Ask someone to be your celebration partner – they can keep you accountable and share your success along the way.
- Buy yourself something that brings you joy.
- Take time out.
- Write about how it feels.
- Choose a celebration affirmation (and use it).
- Do something that you have always wanted to do.
- Make your favourite meal.
- Have a long bubble bath.
- Write a list of everything you have learned from the experience.
- Turn up the music and dance.
- Stand in front of the mirror, look yourself in the eyes and say “nice work!”.
- Offer to help someone on a similar journey.
- Take a photo.
- Start a ‘Success Jar” – write down one thing you are proud of every day for a year. Reflect on your success at the end of the year.
- Get dressed up.
- Buy yourself flowers.
- Sleep in.
- Read a book.
- Go for a walk.
- Have a PJ day.
- Plan a fun outing with the people you care about.
- Go on a picnic.
- Create a celebration board – add little mementos that remind you of the key steps along the way.
- Write down how this milestone has contributed toward creating the life that you want.
Tips for success
Choose a celebration that feels reflective of the size of your progress. Going on an overseas holiday to celebrate navigating a difficult conversation successfully may not be a sustainable practice! A good celebration structure will feel measured and relevant to the progress made.
Celebration is most effective when it is done immediately (or as close to as possible) after an achievement. If you feel unable to celebrate in the way that you want to in that moment, take 5 minutes to reflect on what you have achieved, how it makes you feel, and what impact this will have. Write these things down, and come back to them when you do celebrate. In fact, this is a celebration in itself.
What is ONE way of celebrating that you will bring into your celebration practice? Share with us in the comments below…
