7 Ways to Celebrate Your Success This Year — Because You Deserve It
Written by Cora Gold
Every year, people make goals. While some are more challenging than others, there's no better feeling than accomplishing what you set out to do in the time frame you had planned. Whether your target was large or small, you still feel the same relief and pride. That's why you should celebrate your success — and learn to love yourself on every step toward a better life.
Celebrating is a little different than rewarding yourself. When you know there's a reward at the end of your journey; you may be more motivated to finish. Celebrating yourself looks a little different, as your motivation must come from something internal. Then, you'll know that your drive and willpower can see you through just about anything. Here are a few ways to celebrate yourself and your accomplishments, alone or with others.
1. Start a Journal
Journals are great opportunities to catalog your experiences and how you feel. If you didn't use a journal for your big goal, consider writing a few pages on how you feel now that you've achieved something. Those pages will help motivate you through other plans, especially when it feels too tough to continue. Getting your emotions down on paper is a great way to have a tangible motivator when you feel like giving up in the future.
2. Have a Self-Care Day
You've accomplished something significant — it's time to catch up with yourself. Self-care keeps you connected with yourself and prioritizes your well-being, which too many people consider a luxury they can't afford. When you're so wrapped up in accomplishing a goal, it might be challenging to prioritize taking care of yourself as you strive to meet the deadline. If your aim didn't have you prioritizing yourself, it's time to take care of your mind and body as a celebration for a job well done.
3. Memorialize It
Find a creative way to memorialize your success. Consider painting a canvas, but don't go in with an idea of the picture you want to create. Feel inspired by your pride and success, and use colors your heart tells you to. In the end, you should have a painting that reflects how you feel in this moment of celebration, even if it's just a bunch of happy colors swirling together.
4. Go Out With Friends
Since you've been working so hard on your goal, it might have been a while since you were able to spend time with your loved ones. You could treat yourself to a fun event that delights all the senses. Going to a wine tasting with friends can teach you more about how specific wines are made while allowing you to sample some of the best drinks available. Find an event that speaks to you and your friends, and you'll have a great time celebrating your success.
5. Buy Something Off a Wishlist
If you have the financial means to reward yourself, you may choose to get something you've really wanted. You shouldn't look at a reward as the end goal — just a way to celebrate something you've achieved. You should want to accomplish goals because of how they can benefit your life, not because you have a reward waiting for you.
Still, if there's something you've wanted for a while and can think of no better way to celebrate, buy it for yourself. It's okay to gift yourself something big now and then, especially when you've done an excellent job reaching your goals. If you want to feel better about your purchase, make sure it has practical use and will influence your daily life.
6. Practice Gratitude
Outward celebration is great, but you should prioritize inward celebration just as much. Practicing gratitude is a way to keep yourself humble in your success by reflecting on everything and everyone who got you to this point. Take time to update your loved ones on your recent success and thank them for their role in your life to help get you to that point.
You should try to remain grateful for everything during your celebratory process, even if there are some things you didn't like about your target. Gratitude can also cheer you up when you're feeling down or didn't accomplish quite everything you set out to, as it can help you remember what you were celebrating in the first place.
7. Reflect on Your Journey
When the celebration period winds down, it's time to reflect on your journey. Learning from experience allows you to make your own decisions rather than just learning about them from listening and reading.
Experiencing things for yourself gives you the unique opportunity to reflect on your choices and how they affect your outcome. You might make more mistakes while you're learning, but that's okay — it'll teach you better for next time. Reflection on your journey will help you prioritize what to change in your next goal-setting session, where you still need to grow, and where your strengths truly lie.
Celebrate Success and Self-Love Together
Loving yourself is crucial to any kind of goal setting. When you achieve something, big or small, you need to celebrate yourself and what helped you get to that point. Even if you didn't make as much progress as you would have liked, you did the best with what you had — that alone is enough to celebrate. You've proven you're successful and can accomplish anything you set your mind to, so make sure to show your mind and body some love while reaping the benefits of your success.