How Are You Celebrating Your Wins?

The other day I noticed a trend among the folks I was coaching.  Several of them identified the need to be more intentional about both recognizing and celebrating their wins and that of their teams.  In a moment where I'm also hearing plenty about burnout, the need for a break and other less than positive ideas, this is an important thing to recognize.  It's also an opportunity to create a shift in both our own perspectives as well as those we work with.  

First, let's tackle the Recognition aspect.  How do you measure a win?  In my experience, we tend to be pretty tough on ourselves.  The win has to be tangible, measurable and "Big" in the eyes of many.  In the nonprofit world, a win is typically measurable success in one of our programs, a successful event or getting that big donation.    But does this have to be the case?  Could there be value in celebrating new thinking, a healthy brainstorming session or even the acquisition of some smaller but still significant donors?  How about a volunteer or staff member getting out of their comfort zone and creating a calling plan to reach out to five new donors in a very personal way?    While these may not seem like the big game changers, these "little wins" add up to measurable long term wins for ourselves and our organizations.  

Now, how about the Celebration.   How do you celebrate?  Everyone is doing the virtual happy hour but what can you do that's a different? When celebrating your own win, how about treating yourself to a half hour of time to think, relax or read?  If you're celebrating something that was accomplished by your team, what could you do to help solidify relationships?  Or when it comes to a single employee, sharing a favorite book or article that speaks to something they're trying to learn?  These of course are just some ideas to get you thinking.  My main point is that there are so many ways to celebrate if we can be creative.  

Here's my end point: At a time when all of us could you use a bit more lightness and reasons for gratitude, let's identify more opportunities to celebrate and get creative about doing so.  

Have a safe and healthy weekend!