This post is part of a 14 ways to help rebuild self-confidence series. We are working our way through the letters of SELF CONFIDENCE with this week’s focus being on the second C in Confidence. Previously covered are Self Compassion & Self Care; 10 Ways to Enjoy your Life; Learning, Love & Laughter; Finding your passion & your happy place; Clear your schedule of activities that don’t serve you; Open-Minded – The way to go and the way to grow!; Neutralise Your Inner Critic & Self-Doubter; Face Your Fears, Imagine, Visualize and Believe, Define your goals, Embrace Gratitude, and Network with others.
Have you ever noticed how we always seem to be STRIVING. Striving to achieve. Striving to reach a goal. Striving to do better. Striving to impress. Striving to feel better about ourselves. Striving to lose weight. Striving to get fitter. Striving to eat healthy. Striving for success. Striving to keep up with competitors. Striving to be noticed. The list goes on! It can be exhausting!! Not only that but during all this striving, we forget to notice our achievements let alone celebrate them! We can tend to focus way too much on what we have not yet achieved or what we perceive as our shortcomings or failures. This can create a skewed perspective of ourselves and that negative inner critic that we all have can get a bit big for its boots!
We need to celebrate our achievements! Why? Here’s some reasons why:
- It will help to keep you motivated and energized
- It will increase positive emotions such as self-respect, a gratifying sense of achievement, happiness, and self-confidence
- It will give that inner critic a good kick to the curb and help us gain a more balanced perspective of ourselves
- It’s a great way to see how far you’ve come and to help plan for the future
How should we celebrate our achievements?
How we celebrate our achievements is up to the individual. It may also depend on the type and size of achievement. Here’s some ideas:
- Dinner out with friends or family
- A weekend away
- A pampering treat – manicure, pedicure, facial, massage etc.
- Buy yourself a treat
- Just take a moment and speak some kind words to yourself, praise yourself, congratulate yourself!
- You could even do as the image above suggests – go for a walk on the beach (or somewhere else out in beautiful nature), or take a picnic rug and some champagne, alone or with friends – enjoy nature, enjoy a sunset, jump for joy, breathe and soak it all in!
- Create an achievement journal if journaling is your thing. I read about this – you note each success, no matter how small and give yourself gold stars. As you continue to grow and accomplish more and more goals, you’ll be able to periodically look back through your journal to reflect on all that you’ve learned and accomplished.
So take a pause from your constant striving now and then and rather than dwelling on what you haven’t yet achieved, why not recognize the value of all that you have accomplished, and then reward yourself with one of the suggestions above, or one of your own ideas. In the end, it’s not the size of the celebration that counts, what’s important is acknowledging that you are growing, doing your best, and creating your best life.
Are you an avid striver? You might like to also visit this post I wrote about the Mindfulness Attitude of Non-Striving. When was the last time you celebrated your achievements?
Ciao for now,
Linking up with Kylie Purtell for #IBOT
22 Comments
This is such a great post Min. We live in a world where achievements are almost expected, yet not celebrated. And not just the big ones. I like to celebrate the little milestones along the way, even if it’s just with a moment of self-congratulations, which sounds really corny, but I think I’ve put in all this work I deserve it!
Thanks so much Jodi. I’m very glad to hear that you celebrate your achievements no matter how big or small. Yes you do deserve it! 🙂 xo
I feel like I need to do something to mark the end of uni. But I’m so tired I’m at a loss for ideas. I wouldn’t mind a night away, but have too many expenses to do that right now.
Do something Vanessa! Something that allows you some rest and time off from normal day to day duties. It doesn’t need be expensive. The end of uni and all the work you have put in during the year is worth celebrating! 🙂 xo
An achievement journal is the very best idea, I’ve never thought of this for myself. I’ve done similar for sunday school students and tutouring students but for myself… what a super idea! Thanks so much for this. I’m going to buy a journal and give this to myself for Xmas this year. #IBOT Annette @afrenchcollection
I’m glad you like the achievement journal idea Annette. Just coz we’re adults doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be rewarded for our efforts and achievements. Whichever way works best in order for us to feel rewarded, I say go for it! 🙂 xo
I’m not great at celebrating my achievements as I move onto the next thing. I recently got made permanent at work and I was like… well, perhaps I should be trying to find a job at a higher level – whereas before that I would have just been happy to be extended for a year so I can pay my mortgage!!!
Deb, you have SO many recent achievements you should be celebrating!! Here’s a few just off the top of my head: 1) Moving yourself into your very own gorgeous new home; 2) Awesome weight loss!!; 3) Being made permanent in your job!! Buy some new clothes. Go out to dinner with a friend. Do something special. You so deserve it! xo
Great post Min. I am a big believer in celebrating achievements and recognising how far we have come. i read/heard about the idea of an achievement journal. Keep meaning to start one. Love it.
Thank you Deb! I can visualise your achievement journal – beautifully and artfully decorated and with your gorgeous hand lettering. So.Much.Talent!! xo
It’s hard when you have been achievement driven all your life (aka Me) and then it stops. Boom. With my much changed life and lifestyle I have to continue to learn to ‘be’ rather than the ‘do’….and it’s hard. However, I am continuing to grow my kinder internal voice and actions via becoming self-compassionate. That is a challenge as we are usually our own worst critics, right! Great post, Min.
Thank you Denyse! Yes I know what you mean! Same for me and why having a blog and the commitments around that help me to adjust somehow as well as being something I very much enjoy. I’m glad your internal voice is learning to be kinder and practice self-care and compassion. It is true we are our worst critics! We can be such complicated creatures at times can’t we?! lol
I’m always talking to my yoga students about the YIN attitude of non-striving – allowing, accepting and surrendering. And when we do strive, you’re right, that we need to acknowledge and celebrate what we’ve achieved rathe than looking for the next goal. This maybe balances out the yang energy of all that striving.
I never thought of it in terms of yin and yang but yes that’s true! Yes we are always moving on to the next thing, and then the next thing, and then the next thing, rarely if ever pausing to celebrate all that we have achieved and we should. Continual striving without pauses for reflection, celebration, and just a good ‘ol pat on the back is not an ideal self care plan nor good for our long term well-being!
I love an excuse for a bit of a celebration and a knees up. I’ll find any excuse – even though my achievements might not be of the mountain moving variety, I think even the small wins need celebrating! Rather that striving for what I haven’t achieved (yet) I like to focus on the things I’ve ticked off the list! I’m looking forward to working my way through your list…
I like an excuse for a bit of a celebration too Sammie! LOL My achievements are not of the mountain moving variety either. My celebrating is usually of the pampering variety. I enjoy those things! 🙂
Love this idea Min, it is something we do not do enough. I spend my time waiting for my achievements to be recognised, but why not recognise them myself!!
Exactly Nicole! Go forth and celebrate – I know you’ve had loads of wonderful achievements. 🙂 xo
Yes! Always celebrate 🙂
Yes indeed! 🙂
I can always find a reason to celebrate and mostly do with food and beverages…. That’s my downfall! Now I need to reach weight goals without the above…. That’s a hard one! I love this series, I must read back on the others ? #teamIBOT
Thanks heaps Jo. I think we’ve all been raised to think of food and beverages as a way to celebrate!! You’re not alone there! There are other ways though. 😉