“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” Philippians 2:13 NLT
Stopping to celebrate success is a necessity, not a luxury. I’ll admit that celebrating does not come naturally to me. Some people are a party waiting to happen. Everything becomes a reason to celebrate. Not me. I guess celebrating has seemed impractical. But it is not. I’ve learned that celebrating is a necessary part of the goal achievement process.
What good is achieving a goal if you don’t celebrate it? When you mark that goal complete, it’s important that you do something to celebrate it. Plan in advance how you want to acknowledge the occasion.
Why is it important to celebrate your successes?
Celebrating success is not about you. Celebrating your success is your opportunity to thank God for what He has done to help you achieve your goal. He has worked in your circumstances. He has given you wisdom. But most of all, He has worked in your character.
Every goal you achieve, if it is a God-centered goal, is part of becoming the person He has designed you to be. It’s part of accomplishing the good works He planned in advance for you to do. (Ephesians 2:10) When you celebrate your successes, you celebrate God’s work in your life.
Perhaps you might plan a retreat day to reflect on what it took to reach that goal. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your reflection. You might journal about the experience. Note how you felt and things you have learned. Take time to recognize God’s presence in the process. Spend time in prayers of thanksgiving. When you set God-centered goals, He is there from beginning to end. Celebrate Him!
Celebrating success is an opportunity to express thanks. First, your celebration is an opportunity to thank God. However you plan to celebrate, even if it is going out to dinner or a weekend trip, or a special purchase, let your heart overflow with gratitude to God as you take that step. Let that memory or that thing be a motivator to offer thanks to Him. He has done a good work in and through you! Your celebration is an opportunity to thank Him for it.
But God is not the only one to thank. There are people who helped you. Perhaps a mentor pointed the way at a difficult juncture. Or perhaps someone taught you how to do that thing you needed to learn to make the goal happen. The people closest to you have most likely made sacrifices as you have worked on this goal. They have given up time with you, agreed to a financial commitment, or they have given you encouragement. Celebrating success is an opportunity to include them in the celebration and honor their participation in achieving that goal.
My husband, Tom, has been my number one cheerleader in every goal I have achieved. He encouraged me to pursue ministry credentials, to become a coach and has been a constant encouragement as I near the goal line of publishing my book. I could not have done any of this without him. When my book is finally published, he needs to be part of the celebration. I am still thinking about what that will look like.
When you celebrate, you motivate. Celebrating your successes motivates you to keep pursuing new goals. There is no greater motivation than achieving a goal. It emphasizes what you are capable of and encourages you to go further. Stopping to celebrate cements that understanding in your heart and mind. It motivates you because you know yourself better. Above all, you know God better. Experiencing His work in you is how you know Him. Because you have included Him in your goal-achievement journey from the beginning, you have experienced Him every step of the way. Celebrating reminds you of all that experience and motivates you to move forward.
Dear friend, wherever you are on your journey, keep going! And when you reach the goal line, stop and celebrate like the running back who just made a touchdown. If you rush on to the next goal, you will miss the motivation of celebrating. You will also miss the opportunity to thank those who helped you reach this one. That running back doesn’t celebrate alone. His team members join him. Have some fun with your team.
When you stop to celebrate you remind yourself that reaching your God-centered goal was never about you. God-centered goals begin and end with God, His goodness, His work in you, and His faithfulness. He is the reason to celebrate.
Key Question: Why is it important to celebrate successes?
A Scripture to Consider: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 NLT
A YES Challenge: Take time to plan how you will celebrate reaching your goal. How will you incorporate thanks into your plan?
Prayer: Father, I am so grateful for all You have helped me accomplish. Apart from You, I can do nothing at all. Help me to keep my goals centered on You. And when I achieve a goal show me how to celebrate so that I acknowledge Your work in me and those who have helped me along the way. In every success, I want to honor You. My life is Yours. Every achievement is a testament to Your work in me. Thank You! Amen.