Celebrate Your Success! (Part 4 of 4)
Don’t wait until you’ve reached your goal to celebrate. It may take a while to achieve it, and that’s okay, but you need to reward yourself along the way.
Every step can be cause for celebration – you can even celebrate your start. As we’ve discussed it’s usually the small steps that really add up to big changes, but they can also be the hardest. It’s easier to say yes to a dessert; saying no requires a lot of strength and discipline. So, each time you say no, congratulate yourself. With time, it will get easier – especially when you’ve rewarded yourself along the way.
If you chose to skip a sale at your favorite clothing store in an effort save money, you just took a huge step in the right direction. Reward yourself.
If you set your alarm 20 minutes earlier to exercise, and you actually get out of bed when the alarm goes off, that’s cause for celebration too.
The point is that change takes effort so rather than feeling deprived every time you have to step out of your comfort zone, give yourself a big pat on the back.
Just be sure to reward yourself in a way that supports your goal. You certainly don’t want to reward your 15-minute walk toward your weight-loss goal with a huge ice cream sundae. Don’t sabotage – celebrate.
Here are my top 7 healthy ways to celebrate:
- Throw a dance party in your living room (you’ll even burn a few calories as you rock out).
- Get a new book or magazine (or save money by getting it from the library).
- Cook yourself a deliciously healthy dinner (or, better yet, let your family or friend be the chef).
- Pick some fresh flowers for your home.
- Call your best friend for some good girl talk.
- Enjoy a relaxing, candle-lit bath.
- Head to the spa for a massage, manicure or pedicure.
Now identify some rewards that would motivate you and get ready to celebrate.
This is part 4 of a 4-part series. Read part 1 - Achieve Your Olympic Dream , part 2 - Pave Your Road to Gold and part 3 - Measure Your Progress - Meet Your Goals.