Why Is It Important to Celebrate Achievements?

I recently received an email from Amazon that informed me I’d earned a silver badge for reading a Kindle book at least 15 days during January.

Huh?

I was curious enough to click and find out what on earth that meant. That brought me to an entire page of badges, some of which I’d apparently earned and others I had not. (But surely I ought to try, shouldn’t I? They’re right there, waiting for me to turn them from dull gray to full color.)

Why is Amazon spending resources creating badges for its Kindle customers to win? Obviously, the marketing department thought it worth the investment.

Here’s my theory: Amazon sells books. Therefore, it’s in their best interest to encourage their customers to read more books.

And, apparently, awarding badges encourages customers to read more.

For most of your accomplishments in life, there won’t be anyone waiting to hand you an award. That’ OK. You and I don’t need a chart filled with gold stars. We don’t need a red-carpet gala. We don’t need silly badges on a virtual bulletin board.

But we do need to stop and acknowledge our achievements from time to time. Both the big ones like publishing a book, and the small everyday ones like sticking to your diet or finishing that report.

And we should make a point to recognize the achievements of others, too. Because noticing and celebrating achievements is good for us.

Five reasons to celebrate achievements and milestones

1. Motivation to keep going. When we recognize the small accomplishments we make along the way, we feel more successful. This is especially important when the going has been tough, or the end goal is still far out of reach.

2. Encourages gratitude rather than jealousy. When we focus on the success of others it can lead to comparison, negative self-talk, and jealousy. When we focus on our personal achievements instead, we are more able to recognize progress and see reasons to be thankful.

3. Boosts self-confidence. Paying attention to the milestones along the way enables us to see how far we’ve come, which in turn helps us move forward with confidence.

4. Combats your inner critic. Our inner critic is quick to tell us we won’t succeed. Keeping track of small accomplishments is tangible proof our inner critic is wrong. When the doubts crowd in, we need that validation more than ever.

5. Leads to a healthier mindset. Success isn’t about the destination; its about the journey. Celebrating the smaller milestones along the way helps us find joy of the process instead of focusing solely on the far-off end goal.

Where do you need a little encouragement in your life? Where might a little celebration give you the boost of motivation you need to keep chugging away at a goal, project, or dream?

How about awarding yourself an imaginary merit badge? If you’re out of ideas, here area few to get you started:

• I Conquered Mount Laundry: awarded to anyone who has succeeded in putting away all clean clothes
• Exercise Superhero: awarded to anyone who has met their exercise goals for the past 7 days
• Valor in the Face of Resistance: awarded to anyone who took an important step toward a big dream
• Intrepid Explorer: awarded to anyone who ventured into unknown territory by attempting to do something they’ve never done before.

I hope this post inspires you to pay attention to your small successes this week.