Celebrating milestones
One of the most common things I see in my coaching work with academics and recent PhDs is hesitation around rewards and celebration.
As a coach, I often ask clients what they will do to reward themselves for completing a task they’ve been struggling with or how they’ll celebrate an accomplishment, like submitting a paper or grant. It’s not uncommon for some folks to be unsure how they should celebrate, or to even reject the idea that they deserve a reward!
This is such a shame because celebrating milestones and accomplishments is such an important part of achieving your goals! But, sometimes we become so focused on the tasks in front of us that by the time we complete a goal or project, we’re already mentally moving on to the next goal or project that needs to be tackled.
I recently completed a big milestone myself - I received my Associate Certified Coach credential from the International Coaching Federation. This is a huge accomplishment that I’ve been working towards for almost two years! And I definitely found some ways to celebrate it (i.e., sharing sushi takeout and a bottle of champagne with my partner).
As we wrap up 2021 and reflect on accomplishments from this year, here are some ways you can think about incorporating celebrations into your work and life:
Accept that you deserve rewards. Yes really, I promise that you deserve to be rewarded. I don’t care if you “only” spent 20 minutes working on that paper you’ve been avoiding, or you “just” applied to one job. Your accomplishments deserve to be celebrated. Remind yourself that those accomplishments might seem small now, but they’re all part of working towards your larger goal. Rewarding yourself along the way can help propel you forward towards completing that goal.
Reward yourself with something special. Maybe there’s a book you’ve been wanting to read, a moving you’ve been wanting to see, or a new restaurant you’ve been wanting to try. Use that to your advantage! What nicer way to treat yourself than by tying your accomplishment to something you really want.
Celebrations can be small. You might think that rewards need to be big, but they can be small. It’s okay to scale the size and scope of the reward based on your circumstances. Sure, for big accomplishments, you might reward yourself with a fancy dinner or another treat, but you can also reward yourself with everyday things, like taking a nap or reading some fiction. Something as simple as going for a walk can be a great way to reward yourself, especially after sitting at your computer for several hours.
Celebrate other people’s accomplishments. Celebrating others can be a great way to show appreciation and gratitude. It can also create a culture of celebration within your department or network. Reminding others to celebrate their accomplishments can help you remember to do the same!
Incorporate reflection into your celebration. What did you learn by working towards your accomplishment? What does celebrating this accomplishment mean to you? What will you carry forward? Use your celebrations as a time to reflect on what this accomplishment means to you and how it will impact you going forward.
