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?
