An achievement? Or is it the beginning of more work?

Allowing yourself to celebrate your success, growth and achievements.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed that when I achieve something such as a good grade on a test, I feel relieved, immediately followed by thinking about my next plan going forward. I would begin planning the outline for my next essay, or how to structure my study session for the next test, but never truly take the time to relish in my achievement and reap the rewards. 

To me, achievements weren’t something to celebrate, coupled with the high expectations of myself, they were just a checkpoint I was expected to reach before continuing on with the next steps of my journey. I feel like I’m always running forward without looking around or stopping. The realisation didn’t hit me until one day I received an invitation for an opportunity I’d been waiting for. Instead of being happy and celebrating, I immediately felt a sense of burden about the work that is to come.

Sometimes it’s tough to break habits, so I found inviting my friends to celebrate helpful. They remind me to appreciate the journey, whether that was the seemingly endless hours studying at the library, or the mental effort that we’ve been through to get to the end of a 4-hour practical. I learnt that achievements worth celebrating aren’t always major life goals, they can be cooking a meal for yourself that day and rewarding yourself by watching your favourite show while eating or completing a lecture and rewarding yourself with a snack. I want to start taking some time to appreciate how far I’ve come and take some time to reward myself for the small and big wins in life.

What is your favourite way to celebrate?