Close your eyes and imagine the last time you celebrated yourself. You’re probably picturing your wedding day, college graduation, or perhaps the start of a new job. All of these events, of course, are worthy of celebration. But you are worthy of celebrating every day, not just when you hit a major milestone. Here, we talk about why it’s so important to celebrate yourself.
And, since it’s difficult for so many women to celebrate themselves, we are giving you twelve ways to celebrate yourself! You can start doing these today – no need to wait for that big promotion or new baby. Ready to dive in? Let’s go!
Why should you celebrate yourself?
If you feel like you can’t or don’t know how to celebrate yourself, you are not alone. Lots of girls are taught not to brag about their accomplishments.
They are taught not to celebrate themselves for fear of looking boastful or conceited. Do you know who those little girls grow up to be? Women who also can’t celebrate themselves.
Nobody gains when women hide their accomplishments or don’t share their successes. Learning how to celebrate yourself is a skill, and it’s not something we’re taught.
In fact, many of us were taught not to celebrate ourselves. It’s time to forget that nonsense and start celebrating yourself, now!
Don’t forget to celebrate the small wins, too
Before we go in-depth on the specific ways you can celebrate yourself, it’s important to remember that the small wins in life are just as important to celebrate as the big ones.
Why is that? Because small wins lead to bigger ones, and if you don’t recognize them, it might discourage you from moving forward.
For example, let’s say you are working toward a specific financial goal, like saving for a down payment on your first house.
Don’t just celebrate the day you buy the house; celebrate the small wins along the way. You might only be able to save a small amount each month, and progress might feel extremely slow.
But every month you are saving something, and that something will one day turn into a down payment. It’s important that you acknowledge the small steps and celebrate yourself along the way to keep you motivated and encouraged.
How to celebrate yourself: 12 Fantastic ideas
You’re probably wondering exactly how to celebrate yourself. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In no particular order, these are our twelve favorite ways to celebrate ourselves:
1. Reflect on and write down your accomplishments
All you need is ten minutes for this one. Grab a pen and piece of paper and make a list of everything you’ve accomplished. Does this sound daunting? Go through your life chronologically, stopping to reflect on and write down everything that jumps out at you.
While you can include them, too, don’t just write down the “big” things, like graduating from college. Include anything that, at the time, felt like an accomplishment to you. Nothing is too small.
Things like your second-grade spelling bee championship or that moment when you finally learned how to swim the backstroke.
By reflecting on all of the things you’ve accomplished, you’ll feel a sense of pride and encouragement that you really can do anything you set your mind to.
Some people even go so far as to make this a nightly practice. Journaling about your daily wins, big and small, each night before bed, is a way to celebrate yourself every day and help build your confidence and keep you motivated.
2. Make a celebration playlist
So many of us associate certain music or specific songs with a time or moment in our lives. Create a playlist filled with songs that remind you of times of celebration. You can look at your list of accomplishments above and reflect on what songs you associate with those memories.
Maybe you have a favorite song from your wedding or a genre of music that was popular during graduate school, a time in your life when you felt confident and successful.
Whatever it is for you, create a list that when you push play, you instantly feel like celebrating yourself and all that you’ve accomplished,
3. Invest in yourself
You don’t have to just celebrate yourself for what you’ve accomplished in the past or for what you’re proud of yourself now for. You can also celebrate your future self. The best way to do that? Invest in your retirement.
By investing in your future, you’re giving your future self the gift of financial security. There’s no better way to celebrate yourself than to know that you’re working to provide for yourself many years down the line.
If you’re new to retirement investing, one of the easiest ways to get started is through your company’s 401(k). Don’t have a 401(k) or are already invested in one? You have many more options, including a Roth or a traditional IRA.
For even more information on investing, check out Clever Girl Finance’s book, Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money.
4. Give yourself a break
Don’t wait for a big occasion to celebrate yourself. In fact, don’t even wait for a small one. Take a personal day off from work or get a babysitter for the kids and spend the day by yourself. This break isn’t a mental health day (which are super important, too); it’s a day of celebration.
So take yourself out shopping, for ice cream, or to get your nails done (or all of the above). Do something that is for you and only you, and, while you’re out, reflect on all of the fantastic things about yourself.
5. Cut yourself some slack
Another simple way to celebrate yourself? Stop being so hard on yourself! If you usually ruminate about everything you are dropping the ball on or need to get done, switch up your thinking. Celebrate yourself by giving yourself a break.
In our current world of social media and 24/7 connectedness, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we aren’t good enough. Combine that with the uncertain world we’re living in right now, and it’s enough to make anyone feel less-than. Remind yourself that you are doing enough and celebrate yourself for getting through these difficult times.
6. Share your successes, and accept compliments
Whether it’s on social media, in a group text, or during a phone call with your mom, share your successes with your friends and family.
Remember, posting about or telling someone you love about something that you’re proud of isn’t bragging. Your friends want to know about your successes and want to celebrate them with you, so share!
After you share, be prepared to accept the compliments that come rolling in. Some people are uncomfortable receiving praise or compliments, but it’s nothing to be shy about. If you’re not used to it, you might have to practice accepting compliments, but it’s definitely something worth learning how to do. Sometimes celebrating yourself means sharing that celebration with others.
7. Get dressed up for yourself, for no reason
Whether it's just another Wednesday evening in or you are working from home, doesn’t mean you have to wear leggings and your old college sweatshirt yet again. You don’t have to save your special clothes just for special occasions! Get dressed up for yourself and nobody else, for no reason at all.
Your clothing choices can influence how you feel. So if you want to celebrate yourself, put on something that makes you look your best, and you’ll be more likely to feel your best, too.
8. Treat yourself right by educating yourself on your finances
Another way to celebrate yourself? By educating yourself on your personal finances. Giving yourself an education is a great way to show yourself that you matter and that you deserve the best.
The best thing about it is that you don’t have to spend a dime investing in and celebrating yourself this way. Start by reading articles just like this one, or any of the hundred others on the blog. When you’re ready, dive into one of Clever Girl Finance’s 100% free personal finance courses.
9. Host a dinner and toast your accomplishments
Want to celebrate yourself in a big way? Well, there’s no better way than by throwing a party! Host your friends and family for a dinner or a party in celebration of you. It can be in honor of a recent goal you’ve met or a new challenge you’re undertaking.
Or, it could be for no specific reason at all. The only reason you need to celebrate yourself is you! Don’t forget to toast your accomplishments, and be sure to accept the compliments that are sure to follow.
If you don’t want to make it all about you, invite a few girlfriends over to celebrate themselves, too. You can each toast to something you’d like to share that you’re proud of, and go around the room sharing and complimenting each other. You’ll all leave feeling like you’re on cloud nine.
10. Save up to buy yourself something special
One of our go-to ways to celebrate ourselves? By splurging on something special. If you’ve already saved up for it, now is the time to get that luxury item.
If you haven’t stashed away the cash yet, start a savings account just for your dream item. Once you’ve saved up for it, celebrate yourself by treating yourself to it.
You don’t have to splurge on something expensive to celebrate yourself. Pick up a new dress or a pair of earrings that make you come alive and feel like the real “you.”
Too often we wear clothes and accessories that don’t reflect our personalities. Maybe it’s time for a change to celebrate the woman you are now.
11. Write yourself a card
How can you celebrate yourself without spending more than a couple of bucks? By writing yourself a card. Sometimes the best way to celebrate yourself is to write down what makes you so amazing and special. Writing yourself a card might feel cheesy at first, but it will make you feel proud of yourself by the time you’re done.
A great place to find beautiful and inspiring cards? Trader Joe’s (or your local grocery store) has a ton of choices at their check-out line.
Pick up a couple and save them for whenever you feel like writing yourself an inspiring message. The great thing is that they serve as perfect additions to your vision board once you’ve written in them.
12. Celebrate the future you
Lastly, it’s time to celebrate the future you. One of the best ways to do this is to set a financial goal for a future date, such as your next birthday. Think of how you want to celebrate your next birthday. Do you want to have paid off ten thousand dollars of your debt?
Saved enough to take a long weekend with your partner? Whatever the goal, set it and come up with a plan for how you’re going to achieve it by your pre-determined date. Then, prepare to celebrate when you reach that date and your goal!
Now that you know how to celebrate yourself, go out and get to it!
Choose whichever one of the twelve ways to celebrate yourself that resonates the most, and get started! You deserve to celebrate yourself every day, so why not start today?