Celebrate success

Each day you have an opportunity to acknowledge all that is positive in your life. It can be as simple as accomplishing a task that you have been putting off or practicing a new behavior that strengthens your character. By doing this you reinforce the likelihood that you will repeat it. Think of ways that you can celebrate success that don't require you to spend money, but still remind you of your achievement. I remember keeping a tally of the days I exercised and how good I felt when I saw all of those red Xs next to each of the days on the calendar. The most important part of celebrating success is to be aware of the feelings that surround it. The more you internalize these positive feelings, the more likely you are to repeat the behavior that created them. Of course you want to celebrate the major successes in your life. This can be done in a more elaborate way. It may be celebrating losing a number of unwanted pounds, realizing a lifelong dream, or achieving a milestone. You may want to start a "celebrating success" fund in which you set aside a certain amount of money each month to subsidize the activity you choose to acknowledge a major success. In 2008 I celebrated three major successes in my life with a cruise on the Mediterranean. You are the one who decides what that will look like for you. What are you doing to celebrate successes in your life today?