Celebrating Your Wins

We shout about the negative things happening in our lives, yet we’re quiet in moments of celebration and joy.

Our brains are wired to seek out negativity to notice what’s going wrong or what’s missing. Then we confirm that bias by looking for more things that align with those feelings. But what happens when we’re experiencing joy? Why do we struggle to celebrate ourselves?

Recently, I hit a big goal I didn’t think was possible. I had convinced myself that I wasn’t in the ideal situation for that goal to be met. And when I reached it, I didn’t feel joy. I felt like I was performing the idea of joy. Instead of feeling pleased with my efforts, my mind defaulted to external circumstances and past processes that hadn’t gone well, even though those very processes led me here.

I sat with that feeling for 24 hours.

Then, I reminded myself with evidence of how every step, every ounce of time, money, and effort I poured in brought me to this moment. It was only then I finally began to celebrate myself. I had to physically and mentally acknowledge what it took to get here before I could believe I was worthy of celebrating this win. And while this experience is common, it shouldn’t be our normal.

We deserve a relationship with ourselves where we celebrate every milestone big or small. We should trust that our talents and capabilities, regardless of external circumstances, are leading us toward our goals.

I’m a big advocate for writing down the evidence of our goals big or small. These reminders reaffirm where we’re heading. They build confidence. They nurture encouragement. And they show us we already have what it takes.

What if you started today. What if you began to track your small and significant wins, not to prove anything to anyone, but to remind yourself of your own becoming. We forget celebration lives in those quiet acknowledgements.