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MARCH 2023

Podcast: Recognizing your successes

Did you set SMART goals back in January? Whether you’re striving to spend more time with your family, increase contributions to your retirement account, reach a healthier weight or finally read a new book, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Your ultimate goal may be months in the future, but, according to this short audio podcast, if you’ve made any progress, it’s important to step back and acknowledge what you’ve already achieved.

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person holding trophy, happy and proud of their achievement

Podcast — Recognizing your successes

Show transcript

Mindful moment: Celebrate!

Congratulations! You’ve done it! Way to go!

We live in a very task-driven world where we often just move to the next item on our list rather than taking time to recognize and celebrate our successes and our journey. But did you know that celebrating in a healthy way is good for us? Think about this:

Celebrating gives us an opportunity to reflect. I was recently reminded of a winter hike I took on a high, snow-covered mountain. After climbing for a while, I paused to rest. I turned around and could see my footprints in the new snow trailing down the mountain and into the foothills below. I could see the distance and the elevation I had climbed. And that gave me an appreciation for what I had accomplished.

In a similar way, when we take time to reflect, we can look back on our journey and see how far we’ve come. We can see our personal progression, and we can see the people that have helped us get to where we are. We get a vision of our success.

Celebrating helps us be grateful. Andrew Merle wrote, “One of the main reasons celebrating is so important is because it reflects an overall attitude of gratitude and enjoying what we have, instead of focusing on what we don’t have or only on what we want in the future.”

According to research conducted by Dr. Robert A. Emmons and Dr. Michael McCullough, people who cultivate a daily attitude of celebration and gratitude have more energy and have less stress and anxiety They are more likely to help others, exercise more frequently, sleep better, have improved physical health and make greater progress toward achieving personal goals.

Celebrating helps us recognize people around us that contribute to our success. It strengthens the connections we have with others, and, as Jody Clark noted, “People like feeling genuinely appreciated. When you celebrate success with others, you are nurturing the kind of meaningful relationships that allow those same people to want to help you in the future.”

Healthy celebrations help us acknowledge our successes and enjoy our journey. They put us on a path of being our best selves. So, the next time you complete a task or reach a milestone, break out the party favors, invite a couple of friends over and celebrate!

Source: Resources For Living. Recognizing your successes.

To learn more about Costco benefits that can support your emotional, financial and physical well-being goals, see the resources below.