In a scene from the hit TV series Sex and the City, the protagonist, Carrie Bradshaw, sets up a fake wedding registry in order for an acquaintance to purchase shoes. Carrie declares that she is being married to herself in order to buy new shoes, which went missing after the shoes were stolen. She was then asked to drop off her shoes at a celebration to celebrate the birth of her friend’s baby.
Even though it’s now twenty years old, this series is still a hit by bringing attention to the moments that are widely acknowledged in society, as well as those that aren’t.
Celebrate small victories
The process of achieving traditional milestones, even though everyone else is landing their dream job or settled in, can cause you to feel a sense of unfulfillment and the fear of being left out and FOMO.
Focusing on distant goals could also result in smaller victories that can aid us in reaching our bigger goals. While it may be, celebrating the journey is just as or even more important than achieving our goal.
In general terms, taking the time to think about achievements can increase the feeling of gratitude, which increases happiness and well-being.
The principle of progress is applied to business to describe the way that celebrating small steps toward bigger goals does not just boost productivity but also improves mood. It is believed that celebrating small milestones actually provides us with the feeling of dopamine, which is a happy brain chemical associated with motivation.
Interestingly, people commonly report feeling a sense of anticlimax or deflation when a long-pursued goal has been achieved – by that exam success, getting a job, or getting married. A study by Bupa even found celebrating significant milestones negatively affected mood because of the pressure to share these milestones on social media, where people compared themselves with others.
It’s probably more beneficial to establish your own goals for yourself rather than following the ones that society is able to dictate.
Looking at personal milestones
The great thing about individual milestones lies in the fact that they are solely for you. They’re not culturally or socially defined and don’t have the same pressure from society to celebrate them. You can observe them in any way you like – by yourself or with the people who you would like to be part of your successes.
What personal milestones could you commemorate? Anything that you consider important in the end.
If you are struggling to come up with your milestones or other events, you can review the last month or week. What did you like about it? Maybe you are going for a run, completing a report to work on, or cleaning your living space. Make a point of recognizing your accomplishments, and if you repeat them, give yourself a congratulations.
Think about milestones with significance for you.
From the future to the future, what goals do you wish to accomplish, and what are the steps to take that will get you there? Celebrate each of these landmarks. The celebrations you have to celebrate don’t have to be extravagant (unless you’d like it to!). It’s all about making them important to you. It could be as simple as giving yourself a night to lie in, taking the time to prepare a tasty meal, or just catching up with a mate.
A friend recently informed me about the ” ta-da list“. The idea is to note down your tasks when you accomplish these goals, during the day or even for a whole week. In essence, it’s an alternative to a to-do list. The ta-da lists serve as an image of accomplishments items that could disappear as we move between deadlines from one day to another.
