Have you ever achieved a goal and then felt down? This emotional low can come because you’ve set all of your energy and attention on reaching the goal, and now you don’t know what to do next. Or, it might be that achieving the goal doesn’t feel as fulfilling as you thought it would.
It’s tempting just to keep moving, but that is a disservice to all you’ve accomplished. You also lose the opportunity to train your brain that there are rewards for achieving goals.
The simple act of stopping to celebrate your successes can make all the difference. It boosts your confidence and your mood with a healthy dose of dopamine.
We’ve shared recent tips for setting actionable career goals and making a habit of "eating that frog," but just as important is how you celebrate reaching your goals or creating new habits.
Here are a few easy ways to celebrate success:
- Treat yourself to a celebratory lunch or dinner. Bring along your friends or coworkers to help you celebrate.
- Attach a physical reward to your goal. Maybe you’ve had your eye on something special that you wouldn’t usually buy for yourself. Make that your reward for meeting a big goal. You can also set smaller milestone rewards as you progress toward your larger goal. Find things you enjoy for each reward to keep you motivated along the way.
- Give a financial gift to a cause you love. Giving also boosts your mood, and this kind of reward benefits others too. Think about a charity you want to support and set an amount you’ll give when you hit your goal.
- Take a self-care day. This could be a vacation day or simply setting aside a Saturday. The point is that you intentionally give yourself a day to be refreshed. If being outside relaxes you, schedule a fun activity that lets you enjoy nature. Or maybe a spa day is more your speed. Be intentional and make it happen.
The next time you hit a goal, give one of these ideas a try!
Office Otter User Tip: Include “pause & celebrate” as the last checklist item for a project task. You’re more likely to actually do it if you have to check off a box.
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