Summary::
I find myself celebrating the little things more and more lately. Finished a painting? Fancy latte time. Accomplished a hard hike? That calls for a glass of vino. Joined a program? Definitely time for my favorite pastry. Now that I think about it, I might want to get myself rewards other than treats haha!
Okay so back up. I used to feel guilty about my small celebrations, like I wasn’t worthy of feeling good about my project until I accomplished the end goal. But how crazy is that you guys? I know you all work so hard day in and day out, and if you’re beating yourself up each day until what you want is finished…that is going to be one unhappy project. Maybe even one unhappy life if you keep it up!
Hey, I totally get it. I’m a perfectionist. I can hardly stand to look at paintings I do when they are at their halfway point, I can hardly stand to be halfway done with a hike. Hahah, it’s a work in progress, which is why it makes it that much more important that I celebrate micro-accomplishments. Otherwise, I stress myself out, and I become a real drag to people around me.
The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate. -Oprah
Think about a project you’re in the middle of. It could be a presentation at work, learning to cook new meals, exercising, reading more, telling the people around you that you love them every day, or anything else. Now assess yourself: have you taken the time to be proud of yourself in the midst of whatever it is you’re working on? I once heard that the key to completing ultra-marathons is to split it up into shorter distances in your mind. I often do this with shorter runs, because I’m definitely not doing ultras ha! And I find that it really helps. For example, there’s a hill near my house I like to run up as a short workout. It starts off really steep, mellows out, and then ends really steep. I love this hill because it micro-rewards me automatically: after I run the first
I once heard that the key to completing ultra-marathons is to split it up into shorter distances in your mind. I often do this with shorter runs, because I’m definitely not doing ultras ha! And I find that it really helps. For example, there’s a hill near my house I like to run up as a short workout. It starts off really steep, mellows out, and then ends really steep. I love this hill because it micro-rewards me automatically: after I run the first steep without stopping, it rewards me with 50 yards of flat trail to catch my breath, then after completing the 2nd steep part, I’m ultimately rewarded with an amazing view of the mountains.
These in-between rewards give me the motivation I need to continue on to the bigger goal, and I’m willing to bet they will with you too. So take any project you are in the middle of right now and think of an accomplishment you forgot to celebrate, grab your friend or significant other, and tell them you’re going to celebrate. Grab a slice of pizza, go buy pretty candles, have a movie night. Celebrate without guilt, you deserve it!
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