Celebrating your successes helps you to feel good about yourself, which is a key requirement for living a happier life.
Most of us are pretty good at celebrating the big things, but those don’t happen very often. That means that we don’t get to feel good about ourselves very often. So, I believe it is important to celebrate the small successes too.
For instance, did you get out of your nice, warm, cozy bed this morning much earlier than you would have liked? If so, that took some initiative on your part and, therefore, counts as an accomplishment. So, congratulate yourself! I do this all the time. Sometimes, especially on a really tough morning, I even raise my arms in triumph and exclaim to myself, “I did it!”
Imagine how much brighter your day would be if you started it off feeling like a winner!
Did you get the kids off to school on time today? Applause please!
Did you get to work on time? Take a bow!
Did you remember to stop at the store on the way home? Good job!
When you think about it, life is made up of hundreds of little accomplishments like those. Taking them for granted is like saying they don’t matter. They do matter. Those are the things that make you who you are. Stand up and take credit. You deserve it!
You probably experience many other, more significant, successes every day that you don’t even recognize because they are disguised as failures. Here is a common example of that:
You start the day with ten items on your to-do list but only get through five of them. Instead of focusing on the five things you didn’t do, give yourself credit for the five things you did complete. Also, don’t forget all of the extra things that came up during the day that interfered with your to-do list. You handled those things just fine. That counts! All of the good stuff counts! Celebrate it!
Why is this celebration stuff important?
At the very least, it can help lighten your mood. (It is very difficult to keep a straight face while congratulating yourself for getting out of bed.) More importantly, how we view ourselves has a tremendous impact on how we see the world. Simply put, when you feel better about yourself, the world around you seems better too.
Finally, feeling successful increases your energy level and helps you to feel more confident about your abilities. That inevitably leads to more success—and more happiness!
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