Celebration is a key component to the creative lifecycle. It’s also a vital part of the overall ebb and flow of staying motivated. In fact, if you aren’t celebrating your successes – no matter their size – then you’re hampering your spirit from reaching all of the greatness you’re truly capable of achieving.
Don’t believe it? Then, explore the science, mystery, and intrigue behind the role that celebration plays in leading a successful and productive, happy and fulfilled life.
Celebrating releases endorphins which actually relax us, thus keeping the creative juices alive and kicking. The simple act of smiling has been proven in a multitude of studies to cause the release of these powerful endorphins. Giving yourself a proverbial pat on the back after you achieve a goal, finish a project, or score a success in life is essential to helping you recognize both the taste of success and the smell of potential failure down the road in your future endeavors.
You can celebrate in a myriad of ways.
* Cake (or a cupcake!) Wine (or Starbucks!)
* A fine dining experience (or a picnic!)
* Road trip (or a walk through a park, zoo, or hiking trail!)
The way you celebrate is absolutely not important at all. What IS important is simply the act of celebrating. Allow your mind to play out how you achieved this milestone. Relive the fear in the beginning as you started your journey. Relish the challenges you encountered along the way that tried in vane to thwart your success. Reward yourself for making it through, for persevering, and for accomplishing your goal.
I’ve used each of the ways listed above when celebrating an accomplishment, whether the achievement was mine or a loved one’s. Sometimes we GO BIG when celebrating. Other times we just prefer instead to savor a sweet little moment of appreciation and celebration. Both are wonderful experiences and they work fabulously to promote continued creativity and inspired motivation to keep us pounding the pavement, pursuing future dreams.
When you take the time to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the rich rewards of your successes, you’ll likely find yourself looking forward to the anticipated celebration mid-way through your next journey – which can provide you with much needed motivation and inspiration to keep going when things get tough, and they will get tough.
If you’re still finding the concept of celebration foreign and almost feeling “wrong”, just ask yourself, “wouldn’t you encourage a dear friend to celebrate an achievement or accomplishment?” If you found yourself answering “Yes,” to that question then you aren’t giving yourself the same advice you give to others. We frequently hold ourselves to a much stricter set of rules and don’t realize the disservice we are doing to our own inspiration and motivation.
Go ahead and celebrate! You’ll produce continued results of accomplishment and will be able to look back fondly on your moments of success with a positive remembrance of both the journey and the subsequent celebration!
Do you celebrate your accomplishments?? If so, tell me how you do in the comments below! If you don’t, describe how you think you might try it next time!