Celebrate Accomplishments to Affirm Your Success

OK – let’s say you have set your clear goals…taken effective and strategic actions…and now you’ve achieved your goal! CONGRATULATIONS!!!  I hope you celebrate your accomplishments as you achieve them.  This is the final step in the exciting and fulfilling process of success…you MUST acknowledge and really CELEBRATE your success!

Two methods I recommend to signify your success:  journal about it and share it with a trusted friend/colleague/coach/mentor/supporter.  I’m also encouraging you to celebrate over your favorite dinner, break open a bottle of champagne, take a luxurious nap – whatever your inclination and desires suggest, and include the people you’d like to share your triumph with.

But back to the two methods I recommend.  Journaling and articulating your success imprints your mind and authentic self with the value you created for yourself.  It also plants the seeds for greater success and achievement because you are focusing on the positive outcome and allowing the discomfort of the risk and other stuggles to recede into the background.

Whether you journal or voice your success, here are two approaches that are powerfully affirming:

1. Notice your body’s physical signals and sensations stimulated by your achievement.  Does your heart feel full and ready to burst?  Do you feel giddy in your chest and want to giggle?  Or do you want to belt out a primal scream with arms outstretched at the top of a mountain?  Allow yourself to sense the full expression of your accomplishment and how it feels…write it out…speak it….and keep going until you really experience the fullness of your victory.  You’re flying high…now soar freely!
2. Declare your positive feelings about it…e.g. “I am proud that I finally accomplished this goal (be specific – name it as you wrote it before you accomplished it)”….”I am getting closer and moving toward my vision (be specific – name it as you wrote it before you accomplished it) now”….”I am excited and ready for more achievements that fulfill and prosper me”…”I really feel exhilarated and powerful, because I overcame so many obstacles and broke through so many personal limitations.”  Again, write them out (you’ll have proof positive that you felt this way, which is especially useful on the days that you feel defeated or exhausted at the prospect of achieving your next goal) or share them with a trusted friend.

Once you’ve really celebrated, and luxuriated in the afterglow fully, you’re ready to tackle another goal.  Set up the next goal, or resume strategic action on a goal that is in the process of being achieved, and repeat the process!

Be sure to set aside the time you need to reflect and take a look at the big picture.  Some goals are more challenging than others, and some goals need to be released from your plan.  You don’t want to waste any energy on goals that are not moving you toward your vision, and you don’t want to waste more time and energy on actions that don’t move you toward your goals!

Work hard…work smart…and then enjoy the fruits of your labor, and celebrate!