Why you should be celebrating your successes more often!

Towards the end of the year we often look back at what we have achieved. However, we should be reflecting on our successes way more often. Successes are there, every week, for everyone. Because however small that success may be from where you’re standing, it’s a step in the right direction. And every step counts for something, remember? Are you struggling to recognize your own successes and being content with them? Continue reading! 

How can success be defined?

Success is defined as… ‘a positive conclusion or result. Success is… ‘something that ends well’. This definition, as defined in the dictionary, suggests that success has a direct correlation with the end result, the completion of a certain goal or process. 

Let’s say you’ve done something that you were dreading to do in the first place because it was out of your comfort zone. We’d say that’s a win in and on its own! Success is defined by the degree to which you are capable of achieving the goals you set for yourself (and no one else!). However small these goals may be. 

Focus on the positive!

We have a tendency to focus on the negative. When it is raining outside, we complain about the weather instead of thinking about our plants finally getting some water… This principle goes way back! It’s better to be scared of a saber-toothed tiger as opposed to thinking: “what a cute kitten, let me just go and give it a pet on the back.”. Basing your decision on the worst-case scenario, is crucial to our survival in this example. So what is the point of all this? The point we are trying to make is that we are basically wired to assume the worst. We have to put in more effort to see the positive side of things. 

Think small

Additionally,  we tend to only recognize major achievements and life changing events, or even worse: things that didn’t work out. For example, that major deal that got signed thanks to you or that one time that you failed to deliver on an important deadline. Those are the events that will continue running through your head. Not the first time that you picked up a drilling machine and attached a painting to the wall for the first time, without it falling down immediately. 

Success is a very personal and relative thing. What is your definition of success? Think about it and write it down! This will help you stay focused and maintain a positive mindset. 

So… What should I write down?

• Something you have done for someone else
• Something you have done for yourself
• A fear you have conquered: Did you do something you were dreading? That’s a win in our (Bam)books! 
• Changes you have made in your lifestyle

In short: celebrating success on a regular basis helps you focus on the positive side of things and it gives you more satisfaction. And remember: you are always enough. Don’t chase after someone else’s dreams or expectations from you, follow your own personal path to success.