To often, when it comes to saving money, we spend a lot of time on what we haven’t accomplished- or we downplay what we have accomplished.
It’s true that we all make mistakes, but why do we focus on our failures more than our successes? Any of us can easily list all of the things we do wrong each day, but do we ever think about what we did right?
Maybe we feel we need to dwell on our failures as a reminder of how we need to improve. But, I’m convinced that celebrating success is much more motivating than punishing yourself for real or imagined failures. Thinking about your success makes you feel good. It makes you think, “Hey, if I did that today, I could do it again tomorrow too.”
Here are a few money scenarios to celebrate:
Paying your bills on time.
Saving an extra $50 a month.
Eating out less.
Paying cash for an item.
Maxing out your retirement savings account.
Completing a no spend week or month.
Trimming your budget.
Reducing your debt each month.
Avoiding accumulating more debt.
Cooking at home.
This list could go on and on and will be different with each individual and family. The point is that we are all accomplishing something good and we should be proud of ourselves for it.
To that end, I challenge you this week to celebrate your successes, big or small….every single one. Paid the bills? Success! Didn’t eat out. Success! Paid off the credit card. Success! You get the point. How you celebrate is up to you but remember to make time for it on a regular basis.
What about you? What successes are you making and are you acknowledging them? What would happen if you did? Let us know in the comments below.
@ Mom’s Plans Yes indeed. When we are too hard on ourselves we put unnecessary pressure on ourselves which results in making more mistakes. We need to remember that we aren’t perfect but that we do do good things.
@ The Everyday Minimalist I agree. If we are too busy concentrating on what has gone wrong, we miss seeing what has gone right and what milestone we have reached. We miss seeing the good that we have accomplished.
You are right, we do need to praise ourselves more. That will hopefully encourage more of the positive behaviors.
@ Mom’s Plans Yes indeed. When we are too hard on ourselves we put unnecessary pressure on ourselves which results in making more mistakes. We need to remember that we aren’t perfect but that we do do good things.
We need to definitely recognize and love each milestone, and not to beat ourselves up over every bump.
@ The Everyday Minimalist I agree. If we are too busy concentrating on what has gone wrong, we miss seeing what has gone right and what milestone we have reached. We miss seeing the good that we have accomplished.