After over two years of work to write and publish a book we took the time to celebrate the launch of Leading Jesus’ Way and it was a phenomenal evening!
It was invigorating to have so many friends, clients, and associates stop by and share in the celebration of the completion of this book project. The conversation totally lifted my energy to now get back to working harder than ever to get the word out about this book.
My book writing coach, Wally Bock, shared that this was one of the most important projects he has ever worked on. And by importance he means that he feels this is a book that people NEED to read, one that will have a profound impact on their life.
Consistently setting goals and milestones is really important to building performance. However, if you don’t take time to celebrate, it may feel like you are on a never ending tread mill that can be draining and extremely stressful.
Celebrating accomplishments is just as important as setting goals.
How often do you take time to celebrate milestones? What is your built in plan to celebrate achieving goals? If you haven’t celebrated any wins lately, today is a great time to start.
7 Benefits to Celebrating
Incorporating celebration as a part of your life is also an important part of servant leadership. Beyond just having fun, there are many positive results involved with celebrating:
1. Celebration releases stress. In the pressure to achieve, stress and anxiety builds up. Taking time that is not task or goal directed gives the opportunity to release stress in a way that will be beneficial to future goals.
2. Celebration provides motivation. If you know something good is on the horizon, there is motivation to pursue the goal. Actually, celebrating reminds you of why you are pursing your goal in the first place, and it will keep you focused on your purpose and vision.
3. Celebrating recognizes excellence. We are too often drawn to the negative. News is negative; even our self-talk can be negative. Taking the time to celebrate gives evidence of excellence.
4. Celebration shows appreciation and acceptance. Particularly important with involvement with a spouse or when leading a team, taking the time to pause and celebrate shows that you notice and appreciate the contributions that others are making. Want to have people continue to work hard? Let them know that you are not taking them for granted.
5. Celebration builds energy. Going from task to task, being ruled by deadlines, and knowing you have to produce to meet expectations is draining. Celebration stands in contrast. It means that the battle was won. Maybe not the war…yet!
6. Celebration provides a time of reflection. Evaluation is critical to future achievements. In the momentary pause, it becomes possible to look at what went well that allowed the result to be achieved and what you could do better in the future.
7. Celebration is a moment in time to be remembered. As you press on and experience the typical ebbs and flows of life, you can look back to a moment marked by a celebration to gain encouragement. Once you have felt the joy of a big victory you will want it again.
Celebration should be part of your culture. It is a discipline and it needs to be planned. The benefits will far outweigh any inconveniences and it will help propel you to the next level of success.
I challenge you to write out your top three goals, along with how you plan to celebrate once you achieve them and share them in the comments below.
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
