The Importance of Celebrating Your Success
Photo by Ham Guy
By Ali Hale
On a semi-regular basis, I do some childminding for a lovely family, and this week, the younger girl (aged eight) brought home a “Congratulations” certificate from school.
This got me thinking about our achievements as adults. When did someone last give you a certificate to say “well done”, “congratulations” or “great job”? Has anyone even said those words to you recently?
Sometimes, it’s easy to feel that our hard work goes unnoticed – maybe by our employers, teachers or relatives. Perhaps you stayed late every night to ensure the success of a tricky project at work, and no-one seemed to care. Or you’ve reached a thousand subscribers on your blog, but your spouse can’t see what you’re so excited about.
The even deeper trap, though, is not so much that other people don’t recognize and acknowledge our achievements, but that we ourselves don’t. I’m someone who likes instant results; I’m not patient and I tend to struggle to maintain enthusiasm throughout a long project or when working towards a distant goal. Because of this, I’ve started consciously recording and celebrating my achievements, so that I realize that my hard work is paying off and that I am making progress.
Why Do It? Thoughts After Ten Months of Achievements
Since January, I’ve been keeping up a very simple practice of spending ten minutes, once a month, thinking about and writing down what I’ve achieved. So if you think that recording your achievements is too much hassle, you might want to reconsider; however busy you are, ten minutes a month isn’t going to impinge much on your schedule.
In the past ten months, life has changed a lot for me, and one of the benefits of recording my achievements is that I can see how far I’ve come since January. For example, back in January, the sum total of my blogging achievement was:
- Launched weblog [The Office Diet] on Jan 1st
- Guest post on Diet Blog on Jan 16th
Fast-forward through the book, and achievements like these appear:
- Staff writing position on Diet Blog (February)
- Wrote guest posts for several big blogs: Ririan Project, Pick the Brain, Dumb Little Man, Cranky Fitness (May)
- Became a staff blogger for Pick the Brain and Dumb Little Man (August)
Building up my fledgling blogging career has been a priority for me this year, and it’s encouraging to see that I’ve come a long way since that first guest post in January: this month, I have enough staff blogging work to pay all my rent and bills. I know that when I start on other long-term goals in the future, I’ll be able to trace a similar pattern of progress, celebrating the small victories to begin with, then seeing myself build on those.
Another benefit that I found through the tougher early months was that writing down my achievements at the end of each month helped me to focus on the areas where I was improving and getting somewhere. Sometimes I had to scrape a bit for things to record, but it helped me get through some difficult months.
How to Create Your Achievements Record
I have a small leather-bound notebook, given to me for Christmas last year, in which I devote a page a month to my achievements list. This suits me well; it doesn’t take much time, but it provides a permanent record which I intend to keep adding to over the next decade (the notebook has plenty of pages!)
Something I’m considering for the future, though, is also having a scrapbook or folder for achievements. This might be a good form of record if your achievements are in the form of news clippings or printed magazine pieces, pieces of artwork, or photographs.
You don’t necessarily have to use words in your record. If you’re tracking your progress towards a fitter, healthier body, for instance, your achievements record could take the form of monthly photographs and measurements.
Don’t Forget to Celebrate: Pick Some Rewards
Something which I intend to start doing more is to pick rewards for reaching milestones. I find that this is both an encouragement to work hard towards a goal, and also a way to acknowledge that I really have achieved something of significance. It’s so easy to treat our achievements lightly, or to feel that they don’t matter because they wouldn’t be “big” in the eyes of the world.
So some of the rewards I’m planning at the moment (from small to big) are:
- A celebratory really good bottle of wine when I reach 1,000 subscribers on my blog, The Office Diet
- A meal out somewhere special when I’ve finished writing all the extra content that I want to put on my Aliventures site (a number of articles and tutorials), and when I’ve finished the redesign
- A weekend away when I first sell a novel (a little way off, at the moment…)
Although none of these are certain to happen, I’ve phrased them all as “when” rather than “if” because that helps me to be confident that I can and will achieve them all – even if it takes me a while!
What have you achieved over the past few weeks? What milestones do you hope to reach soon – and how will you be celebrating?
About the author: Ali writes about personal growth and development on her blog, Aliventures. As well as blogging, she writes fiction, and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing.
You might also like:
- How to Grow Outside Your Comfort Zone
- Write down your ideas as they come
- Gradual Organization: How to Go from Slob to Productive
- How A Career Journal Can Help You
- 15 Simple Ways to Get a Bit More From Life
Learn how I found happiness and meaning and how you can too. Get your FREE copy of my e-book by signing up.
29 Comments
November 24th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Such a simple idea that doesn’t require much time at all.
Sometimes I am so busy keeping all of the balls in the air that I forget to give myself a pat on the back.
Great tip- thanks!
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November 24th, 2008 at 11:49 am
I keep a folder at work of all my achievements. Anytime I get an email from someone praising me for going above and beyond, I put it in the folder. It also contains a list of completed projects that were overly successful. When I go in for my annual review, or a promotional interview, I bring this folder with me to present to the higher ups. Not only does it make me feel good about the work I do, but it also is a excellent negotiation tool.
-Dan Malone-
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November 25th, 2008 at 3:27 am
Great tip, Dan! I’ve kept emails before but never thought of using them as a negotiation tool quite like that. Now I freelance, I keep client testimonials from emails for my website, which I guess is a similar way of using this praise.
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November 24th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
That’s great advice to give because it seems like we always find the time to analyze our mistakes and shortcomings, but are too busy to pat ourselves on our backs and acknowledge the good things we do.
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November 24th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Hi Ali: I was just writing on another blog a comment about how I used to work for the Panama Canal Commission and my supervisor was always giving me on the spot awards whenever I won an arbitration or did anything else he thought noteworthy. The award was a certificate and $100, a watch, and so on that was given at an office meeting with everyone in attendance, and with no prior warning to the recipient. When you work for yourself you definitely need to find ways to review your own accomplishments and give yourself rewards, because it helps you to recognize your progress
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November 25th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Hi Marelisa,
What a great supervisor you had! You’re right, we need to take on that supervisor role in our own lives – especially if we’re self-employed – to similarly recognise our success and hard work.
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November 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
It is good to give ourselves a pat on the back regardless it is a big or small success. It is the encouragement that everybody needs every now to keep ourselves going.
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
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November 24th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Thanks for this piece Ali — I’ve certainly been one to ask “is this all there is?” after I finish a project. I’ve become better at appreciating the process of what I do in addition to the products, but I’m sure I could still benefit from making a list of the fruits of my labors once in a while as you suggest.
As for my own last few weeks, I finished and began marketing a three-hour audio program, and I’m starting to see some sales from my site — it’s been really gratifying.
Best, Chris
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November 25th, 2008 at 3:29 am
Fantastic stuff, Chris! Sometimes the results themselves are enough reward for hard work … but hope you’ll be celebrating your sales too!
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November 25th, 2008 at 2:41 am
Hi
I agree with your views.
It’s just as important to celebrate success as it is to set goals / dreams / desires. Some people record whatever progress they have made towards their visions on a daily basis. Otherwise one can get lost in the process and life can become a slog. I wrote about just that in my latest post.
Juliet
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September 28th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
I am a very busy person and I tend to find little time to reward myself for any accomplishments that I achieve. But now that I have finished my first two courses in college for medical transcription, I think it is time be rewarded. So made a certificate for myself that I can print off each term for each class successfully finished. I am going to frame each one and hang them on the wall over my work station. This way I can always look up and celebrate my achievements.
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September 30th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Hi Ali
This is a great tip to help in celebrating.. After 29 years I am finally going back to school and this is my last week of my !st term. I feel great!
Thanks for the tips
Miriam
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October 3rd, 2009 at 12:40 pm
@Miriam Fort,
Hi Miriam,
I just read your post of going back to school after 29 years. That is so awesome, as it has been 20 years since I have taken any college courses, until July 29, 2009 when
I started Kaplan University for an A.A.S.(Associate of Applied Science) in Medical Transcription degree. I have completed the first semester and it feels so great to have achieved this, so far. I am one step closer to earning my degree. I wish you good luck in your studies and positive thinking will get you through!
Best wishes,
Denise Williamson
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October 3rd, 2009 at 12:34 pm
I am so excited that I have made it through my first semester at Kaplan University. This is the first time in 20 years, since I have taken any college courses. I received an actual 100 on my final project in Academic Strategies. What an achievement for me!
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November 17th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
@Denise Williamson, I am so Happy for you Denise, well done. Your fellow student.
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October 29th, 2009 at 11:34 am
hi my name is jennifer peelman i am at the end of my second semester of classes at kaplan university i have achieved a lot of thing like good grades, a new laptop to help me with my online classes. i will celebrate my acheivements by going to a movie with andrea and justin and also partying all night at andrea’s if we are up to it . i have also learned that three classes is just a little bit to much for me right now so i will go back down to two classes for the next semester
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October 29th, 2009 at 11:35 am
This gave me some great ideas on how I can keep track of my achievements for college. I am just finishing up the last week of my 2ed term and will start my next term Nov 11th. It also gave me some great ideas on how to celebrate what I have all ready accomplished. For example I am going to celebrate the end of the 2ed term by re- connecting with friends and family. I am keeping a recored of everything I did in my classes and keeping a recored of my grades from all my classes.
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November 17th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
How I really can not beleive that I have made it through my first term at Kaplan. I am going for my Medical Assistance and I did a whole lot better than I thought that I would. So I thought that I would celabrate this weekend and do something with a friend, go out for luch or something. Will be getting ready for next term Dec. 2, 2009.
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November 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 am
This is my first term at Kaplan. I found it very informative and exciting. It was a little confusing at first because I wasn’t given all the critical information I needed. I adventually found it myself, which resulted in a couple of late assintments but my instructors worked with me and I got them complete. That experience is only one of many I’ve had to go through. Because of this I have learned That there isn’t always someone there to help you. You have to learn to figure things out by yourself.
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December 16th, 2009 at 10:39 am
This is also my first term at Kaplan. I was very excited in the beginning, but also nervous. I never realized how disciplined that it would make me doing online classes. I am glad I pushed myself to start school because I kept putting it off. I have kept an A average in both classes throughout the term, which is great! I like to reward myself by going to eat a nice dinner. It is so amazing to me at how much I have changed and how I have so much more confidence now! It has truly been a blessing to me.
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December 16th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
This is my first term at Kaplan and so far it’s great! I hope to further my career with Kaplan, I think they are awesome!
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December 16th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Gret idea when dealing with life children and grandchildren I do forget about me. I am so proud of myself so I pat myself on the back and say good job I finished my first term at kaplan and I am looking forward to the next one
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December 18th, 2009 at 7:45 am
I have learned alot in this course and I’m sure it will stick with me forever. I have realized that going to school. working 3rd shift, and the kids are all gonna be alo to handle at times. I can’t give up though because I have too much riding on my success. I just keep in mind that nothing that’w worth having will come easy. You all have a wonderful next term.
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January 16th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
I just want to say I don’t regret the time that I have put into my career. I want to thank my loving husband and my children for all their support.I have use tools and strategies to help me in my career as a Associate Allied Medical Office Management. I am going to stick to my goals to the end. I hope to see the next term to receive my Master Degree. Online courses has been a exciting experience for me and I have learned a lot.
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January 23rd, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Success doesn’t have to be just a dream anymore. You can make your life what you would like it to be. Reach for the moon, if nothing else you will be a star and what’s wrong with that? Whatever you do just don’t give up! Know that you can.
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