When last have you celebrated your achievements?

Most of us do not have a plan to celebrate our achievements and successes. In fact, we and our businesses have a tendency to run from one project to the next without any time set aside to pause and reflect. Did you know that celebrating your successes have an abundance of benefits for you and your team?

Why we should celebrate our successes

Being an adult seems to be very serious business. There is little time to play and we constantly run from one task or project to the next. And when we reflect, we only reflect on what has gone wrong and beat ourselves up about it.

This is very different from when we were kids – as kids our achievements were celebrated at school or by family. Just think about how we celebrate a child’s first step or first day at school.

Celebrating successes is an important opportunity to cement the lessons learned. You have the opportunity to revisit the elements of your plan that worked well. It also makes you feel more positive about your abilities and the future.

And when we feel positive it is so much easier to be productive.

When we celebrate as a team, we strengthen relationships and that make future achievement more likely. It also gives us a sense of belonging which in turn improves our organisation and team’s culture.

Research have shown that teams and organisations that have a culture of celebrating successes, have lower staff turnover and fewer employees suffer from anxiety and burn-out.

How to celebrate our success

The idea is not to have a big party every time you reach a goal or after every project (you can if you want to!). Celebrating successes means we set aside time to think or discuss how we have managed to achieve the good outcome. It is also an opportunity to tell yourself that you have done well; give yourself a pat on the back.

Perhaps you want to do something for yourself: taking time for self-care, spending time with your loved ones, doing something creative or a hobby, or practicing gratitude. Even the tiniest reward that you give yourself, will motivate you. It will allow you to become a self-starter, someone that is their own cheerleader, much less dependent on the acknowledgement and praise by others.

When in a team it is an opportunity to thank everyone for their contributions and also allow them to reflect on their successes.

As we are about to close the curtain on 2023, I challenge you to celebrate all your achievements and successes as it will keep you inspired and give you the strength and focus for 2024. Do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones and do it for your teams.

I wish you a wonderful festive season, filled with joy, peace and contentedness.

Becoming proud of yourself is the best gift you can give yourself and others. Zuleka Jasper.