Celebrate! You deserve it. So often we accomplish a goal, achieve a benchmark, or are noticed for our progress and effort. We then downplay our own accomplishments by saying “it was nothing” or show little or no joy in order to “stay really humble”. We often play the “it was nothing” card…but it was something. You Did It! It is time to celebrate…reward yourself. Celebrating our small wins (and big ones) can have a huge impact on our self-esteem, momentum, and motivation.
We all have a critical inner voice that is constantly telling us to do better, to get better, to keep grinding, and that we are not good enough. Although we do need to constantly seek improvement and consistent effort, our challenge is to replace any negative self-talk with positivity. It is necessary to replace the negative talk with a voice of encouragement, self-compassion, and praise. It is OK to pause and tell yourself that YOU DID A GOOD JOB.This can build confidence for the future and create more positive results. Remember: success breeds confidence, and confidence breeds success. Getting better allows us to get better, which makes the work more fulfilling and rewarding. It just gets to be more FUN. We must strive to remind ourselves of our progress and positive results in order to build momentum for our confidence to flourish. This confidence will help us take that first step towards achievement, even when we may feel insecure, unprepared, uncertain, or even frightened.
Positive reinforcement allows us to celebrate our success…this releases dopamine (science stuff)…and this makes us feel good. This “feel good” allows us to stay motivated and on track to the finish line. It’s almost like getting paid in good feelings. Please understand that mistakes and failure will still be a part of the journey. Use these as learning moments and growing opportunities. There are no losses, only lessons in life. Learn, Grow, and Get Better…a mistake just means that we have learned one more way “not” to do something…it is a win.
When we take the time to celebrate our success, we begin to believe in ourselves and in our abilities. This confidence can empower us to grow and achieve at a higher level. It is time to celebrate…let’s party!!!