Celebrating Achievements
When we celebrate success, we increase motivation. When you have a deadline, you’re more likely to get things done in a timely manner. Sometimes you have to break the project down into manageable steps, but once it’s done you should celebrate your win.
Around our tenth wedding anniversary, it seemed like so many other couples were getting divorced. I became so worried that we would be next that I made sure we had quite a few discussions about that topic.
A few days before our tenth anniversary, my husband told me that he booked a room where we spent our honeymoon. He said that we made it to ten years as a married couple and we needed to celebrate. We had an amazing trip making fantastic memories.
As we celebrated our anniversary, my husband helped calm my fears about divorce. He made it a point to make sure I knew how much he loves me and appreciates me. He stood there at the archery range and reassured me that he’s in it for the long haul. He used words that helped me to feel secure and loved.
He could have done this at home and it would have made me feel better. But the fact that he made our milestone a big deal meant that he thought it was a big deal too. This year we will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary and I’m sure we will have some sort of celebration. However, I will always treasure the tenth year because he did this for me and for us.
You don’t have to make your celebrations this big. You can celebrate the little things, too.
7 Ways to Celebrate Achievements
1. Use Your Words – Remember to tell them that they did a good job. A pat on the back and a “way to go” gives your celebration a personal touch that could mean the world to the person you are celebrating.
2. Share Stores About Their Achievements – The people who mean the most to them have great stories to tell about different ways they succeeded in their lifetime. Have these people either write the stories and give them to you or tell you the stories and you write them down. Then make these stories into a book, a video, or something that they can look at when they need to feel good about themselves.
3. Give a Gift – If you decided to go this route, make sure that whatever gift you pick out is something the person being celebrated will appreciate or be able to use.
4. A Day Away – Celebrate their wins by having a picnic in the park, spending the day at the amusement park, go to a ball game, or a massage. Whatever you pick, make sure the person who is being celebrated won’t feel awkward.
5. Have a Get Together – It doesn’t have to be a big party. Have a few friends over for a barbeque, invite the kids and grandkids for a cake, go out to dinner, have drinks with friends, or even host a virtual get-together.
6. Hold An Awards Ceremony – Make it a big deal. Dress up and give them a certificate or a trophy to celebrate their achievements.
7. Achievement of the Week or Month – Dedicate a place on the wall to celebrate wins and achievements. Put up their picture and celebrate their achievement for the week or the month.
