One Thing You Can Do Today to Increase Your Long-Term Success
“That’s huge!” I say in my most celebratory voice.
“Yeah… but I still have to print my hangtags and my button supplier isn’t calling me back,” she tells me with a tone of defeat.
I pause for a second.
“Okay, sure, but you’ve finalized a CUSTOM sustainable fabric that you’ve been working on for MONTHS. That is a HUGE win!”
“Yeah… I guess you’re right…” she says, only slightly waning to my enthusiasm.
Why do we do this?
As entrepreneurs, why are we the last people to celebrate our own wins?
Even worse, why do we focus on all of the things that aren’t working rather than taking a moment to recognize how far we’ve come?
I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to celebrating my own progress.
I’ll remember to send my web designer a bottle of champagne on launch day, but I won’t pour a glass for myself.
What gives?
The most obvious excuse is that there’s just too much to do.
As small business owners, we don’t have time to focus on the things that are going well because there’s always something else to be working on.
But I’m not suggesting you go on a Carnival Cruise every time your fabric order arrives on time.
What I am suggesting is that you take a beat to reflect.
To appreciate.
To sigh a breath of relief.
To recognize that in at least one way, you are doing great.
So, here’s your call to action for this week:
Come up with one small thing you can do to celebrate your wins.
Maybe it’s a five-minute office dance party to your all-time favorite song.
Maybe you take 10 minutes at night to luxuriate with a bubble bath and face mask.
Or maybe you splurge for the $5 oat milk latte instead of the $2 drip coffee.
Whatever you decide, it’s not so much the act of treating yourself as it is taking the time to acknowledge what you’ve accomplished.
And most of us need a physical trigger to remind us to do that.
Why is this important? Why do we need to celebrate our wins, you ask?
Studies have shown that when we take time to celebrate small victories, we become better at goal setting and more importantly, reaching those goals.
And I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to set a goal then I’m willing to do whatever it takes to increase the odds of accomplishing it.
So, the next time you’re busting moves to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” know that you aren’t just indulging in a dance break…
What you’re really doing is increasing your odds of long term success.
And that’s something to celebrate.
