Celebrate your wins!

Today I achieved a major milestone... Didn't know how to react... Has that ever happened to you?

You just had a big win: You studied hard and aced a big test; you finally mastered a difficult piano piece; you improved your personal best time. Do you take a victory lap? Do you seek out praise? Do you quietly move on?

Pumping yourself up after a big win can feel a little awkward. You want to acknowledge good work, but you don’t want to feel arrogant. It’s that tricky balance of quietly reveling in a job well done without coming off as … well, a jerk.

Despite that awkwardness, getting credit for your work gives your brain good feelings and helps you accomplish more. I have seen a lot of organizations use praise to try to boost productivity and even revenue, and experts say that the psychological impact of keeping a positive view of your accomplishments can decrease stress and encourage better habits.

Do you give yourself enough credit for your own successes? Are you more likely to dwell on your failures or your accomplishments? Why?

Do you accept compliments from others? Are you ever embarrassed when someone else praises you? Have you ever received an “empty” compliment? Do you ever feel you received too much praise? Do you regularly compliment others?

For me what works is keeping track of my successes — big and small:

Keeping a daily list of your accomplishments can be one of the most powerful ways to improve your intrinsic motivation, productivity, creativity, and mood...

Because small setbacks can have a negative impact three to four times stronger than the triumph of a small win, keeping a list of achievements isn’t just helpful in giving you a motivational boost that day. It can also be an affirming reminder of your strengths the next time you go through a rough patch.