Working on your own raises many challenges, not the least of which is handling the highs and lows without having anyone around to share them with.
Recently on the forum, we’ve been swapping ideas about coping with those really terrible days that we all have from time to time. I confess that when Wendy Flack first opened the subject of celebrating success up for discussion, my first thought was “Easy. Open a bottle of wine.”
I noted that around a third of the kind people who chimed in with ideas to help Wendy cope with her yucky day also mentioned alcohol… phew, so it’s not just me then!
Commiseration is just one side of the coin, of course. The thread came to mind recently after I finally wrapped up a big project that I’d been working on for months. Yay! Celebration time!
Celebrating success solo is a tricky thing. It can feel a bit contrived and indulgent, but boy, is it necessary! After all, an unrewarded work force is a demotivated one and since no-one else is going to pat you on the back, you’ve got to do it yourself.
But how?
In the past, I’ve bought myself a little present when I’ve finished a huge piece of work – usually a small piece of jewellery. But that idea wasn’t very appealing this time, so how else should I reward myself? In my old corporate life, a team outing would have been in order, so I started by taking myself out for lunch in the sun.
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During my lunch, I decided that I need a little bundle of ideas to keep in my back pocket, ready to celebrate my wins at the drop of a hat. Since then I’ve been asking other soloists how they reward themselves when they’ve had a victory.
So far, my two favourite suggestions are to treat myself to an iTunes voucher and to actively spend some time daydreaming about my next holiday, complete with a trip to the travel agent for brochures packed with inspiring pictures to cut out and stick on my vision board.
How do your reward your successes? Please share your ideas for celebrating success with us below.
