The other day, a few girlfriends and I were discussing the fact that we rarely celebrate or appreciate ourselves when we have accomplished something meaningful. As soon as we get a raise, we look to the next level of success, not missing a beat. When we score an amazing blog partnership, we want something even bigger.
This is a good quality in a way because we’re driven women which makes us successful women BUT we also never slow down and realize how far we’ve come, an important part of the process.
As I am wrapping up my 20s (another whole post on that soon), I’m realizing more and more how important it is to give yourself well-deserved pats on the back. This crazy action might seem unnecessary and a waste of time but in reality, it gives you an even bigger boost to reach your next goal. Brag a little to your parter, sister, or friends about what you’ve accomplished. Let them congratulate you without any self-deprecating comments. Soak up a little glory.
I’ll start. In the last year, I’ve quadrupled my blog readership, started a business, gained over 13,000 new followers on Instagram, and doubled my Twitter following. Last week, I scoffed at these numbers when someone brought them up, proving my point by mentioning my friends who have accomplished oh so much more. This week? I’m sitting here smiling as I write this because that’s pretty fucking powerful and all of my hard work has paid off in a big way.
Here is another example: 2 weeks ago, I was given a raise at work. Yay, right? When I told my husband he was excited and proud of me but I responded with “Well it’s not where I want to be right now but I guess I’ll take it.” What the hell is that? I am working for a cool company, doing fun and fulfilling work, making a great salary. How come I couldn’t be excited for myself? I’m sure that’s a deeper psychological issue that we won’t get into but this week I decided to finally celebrate the raise and feel great about it. Go me!
Celebrating doesn’t have to mean pounding a bottle of champs and dancing into the wee hours of the morning. In my case, it means enjoying a nice glass of wine and letting my loved ones tell me how awesome I am. Sounds like a pretty good night to me!
How do you celebrate your successes?
You are so spot on with this post. Maybe it’s similar to the whole “women always apologizing” thing where we don’t give ourselves enough credit. Now that you mention it, I can tell that I’ve been acting similarly, too. It really is so hard not to get caught up in “doing better” when there’s always something else to strive for. But a BIG congratulations on your achievements– they truly are amazing! ๐
YES! I hate that I say sorry so much. Why do we do that?
And thank you!
This is all so true– and I’m so guilty of it. Brava to you and all you have accomplished!
Great post! And oh so true. As women, we are hard on ourselves. As a mom who juggles work and family I am constantly second guessing my decisions. But, at the end of the day, I remind myself that it’s not what you do that’s important; it’s who you are…to yourself and your loved ones. So be in the moment as often as you can! Congrats on your successes!
http://www.taffetaandtulips.com
Amen. It’s great to be ambitious and driven, but only if we can take a step back and appreciate how far we’ve come. You should be so proud of everything you have accomplished with your career, your business, and your blog. I know that’s easier said than done, and I guess that’s why we have good friends…to remind us how awesome we are ๐
xo
Sam
Thanks lady! And thank God for those good friends ๐
Such a great post. We are all so hard on ourselves. Congratulations on your accomplishments! What you have done is amazing!!!
you are such a stud! taking this to heart this week ๐
Love this! Thanks for the reminder!
You’re so, so right Julia! As busy working women with big goals and big dreams, we tend to be a generation of overachievers. We try so hard to outdo ourselves without pausing for a moment to really take in the excitement and well-deserved pat on the back. Congrats on the raise and wonderful stats — you have worked hard for it, girlfriend! Cheers to you! xo
Congrats on your successes! I relate well to this post- but on a much smaller scale ๐ However, I still have to constantly remind myself not to compare myself to others, otherwise I’ll never be content. Thanks for sharing your experience!