Why We Should All Celebrate Our Wins

This year has been hard. The decisions that each one of us has had to make to prioritize the ones we love, paying the bills and staying safe and healthy have not been easy. Most likely these decisions have contradicted themselves at times.

The important thing to remember when it comes to making hard choices is that you’re going to make bad ones, and make mistakes - it’s inevitable. Not every decision you make will be the right one and that’s how you learn. We can only use the information we have to make the best choices we can, and then learn from the outcomes. We have all been putting pressure on ourselves to make the right choices, and we need to remember to give ourselves a break and celebrate the wins you’ve achieved so far! 

As we reach the last month of 2020, let’s take time to look back at where the year started. We were all blissfully unaware of the chaos that would unfold. Your goals and priorities were likely much different from where they are today. How did you manage the pivot to virtual work or school? How did you stay motivated or get yourself back on track if you needed a break? 

It’s important to recognize and acknowledge the things you’ve done that have led to those successes. Give yourself a chance to say “wow, I did that!” Think about the time and effort you put into making that success a reality. Celebrating our wins helps us enjoy the journey, and motivates us to keep going, to reach that next goal. 

If we blow by our goals without recognizing all the work we’ve done, we risk burning out and losing motivation all together. We’ve talked about being so overwhelmed with what’s on the to-do list that it’s hard to get started. This is true as well when we don’t pause and reflect on what’s working and what’s not. 

Our society glorifies working non-stop, constantly staying busy and never turning off. That is not success - success is the achievement of reaching your goal. You may not even know what you’ve accomplished if you don’t stop, look back and recognize what you’ve achieved. Celebration is an important part of that process. Digest the feeling of achievement, the work it took to get there and reflect on what needs to change to reach the next step. 

Take breaks. Take time to reflect and refocus before plowing forward to the next goal. As we end a chaotic year with more uncertainty around the corner in 2021, it’s important to get in the habit of celebrating your wins. Don’t let the fear of not doing enough stop you from understanding and recognizing all the amazing things you have done!