Recently, my best friend got an unexpected surprise at work. A milestone anniversary crept up on her in terms of the number of years she spent at her company. To reward her for her loyalty, she received round-trip plane tickets and she decided to treat me and another friend to go on a girls’ trip with her.
That made me think of rewards.
Before embarking on this life coaching journey, I always thought that awards could only be given by an outside source to honor an achievement or celebrate a milestone.
I wish I had learned sooner that you could also give them to yourself.
This is different from the energy of treats—of buying myself things because I “deserve them” after all that stress and hard work.
This is more of an intentional acknowledgement for something you are specifically proud of. It is the pause before moving on to the next big and audacious goal, the next thing on your to-do list, the next book, or the next idea.
You can give yourself an actual reward. Connecting your shopping habit to honoring your achievements will make your purchases even more precious and meaningful.
You can also celebrate with an experience. You can learn something new, to find peace at a retreat, to go on a girls’ trip with your friends, to pamper yourself with hours at the spa.
Or it can be as uncomplicated as filling up the “What went well” box in your Sunday Night Journal. You can give yourself a pat on the back in simple acknowledgment of all the good that happened in the past week.
By doing this, you will develop self-trust and confidence. You will no longer be so reliant on external sources for approval or validation, your moods swinging up when you are praised and then sinking when no one notices your hard work. You know you can give it to—and receive it from—yourself. Yes, you can be your own source of applause, champagne, and round-trip tickets.
