Are you the kind of business owner who celebrates and savors everything you achieve? Or do you meet a goal and quickly move on to the next thing? Or maybe a combination of the two?
When was the last time you took time out of your busy schedule to acknowledge (let alone celebrate) your many accomplishments? As entrepreneurs, we spend a lot of time obsessing about the future. Yet, when we complete a significant goal, we have been conditioned to immediately move onto the next goal rather than celebrating our wins. When you don’t take the time to celebrate your many accomplishments, you have a high probability of burning out.
While you don’t need an excuse to celebrate, the one time when most type-A entrepreneurs actually take the time is on a birthday that ends in a zero (i.e. 30th, 40th, 50th, etc.).
Here are three reasons why celebrating your wins is so critically important to your success.
#1: The Act of Celebrating Changes Your Physiology And Strengthens Your Psychology
When you celebrate, endorphins are released inside your body and you feel incredible. When you accomplish something and don’t take the time to celebrate, you are robbing yourself of an important feeling that reinforces your success. So much of what we do in our business is driven (or limited) by our psychology. Celebrating your wins not only feels great physically, but it reinforces the behavior you want to show up when you face a new challenge or opportunity.
Conversely, if you fail to celebrate your many accomplishments, you are training your brain that what you are doing isn’t all that exciting and important. If every day feels mundane (even when you are crushing it) you will stop giving 110% of yourself and that will lead to lackluster results. Simply put, the lack of celebration will lead to a feeling of emptiness that will result in less focus and decreased performance over time.
#2: Celebrating with Colleagues and Business Partners Tightens Your Network
By no means must you throw a party to celebrate. There are many psychological and physiological benefits in simply acknowledging your wins (either in a journal or with a close friend or family member). But, there are added benefits when you expand your circle to include your colleagues and business partners.
While in a peak state of celebration, you have the added benefit of strengthening your business network with those around you. Your own celebration is contagious and those around you want to share in your success. As accomplishments are properly recounted, new ideas and opportunities are formed and shared. In a peak state, you feel you can accomplish anything. When surrounded by others who are also in a peak state, it’s natural to look for ways to collaborate and strengthen your network of achievers.
#3: Your Celebrations Position You Correctly as a Winner and Attracts More Success
Success begets more success, so it’s only natural to build upon existing momentum; especially during events of celebration. As you look to grow your business, celebratory events not only reinforce the positive aspects of what you are doing but positions your business correctly as a desirable company with which others would like to associate.
Perception becomes reality. As you celebrate your wins, others look for ways to participate in what you have successfully built. The right partnerships are formed via a value-for-value exchange. This means that to attract you to allow others in, there is a high probability they will be coming to the table with ways to expand upon what you’ve already achieved.
Inc.com
