How do you celebrate?

That’s an odd question, isn’t it? This is a blog about writing, and I’m talking about celebration. Okay, maybe it’s not that far-fetched of an idea.

People are always saying to reward yourself or treat yourself. And I agree…to an extent. If you hit a milestone, saying writing 50,000 words, for example, then you should celebrate that. It really is an achievement.

Now, if you have a chronic illness, be it physical or mental, then just getting one word written can seem like a herculean task. In that case, celebrate the accomplishments you can do.

And how should you celebrate and reward yourself? Well, that really depends on you. If you are reward motivated, set smaller goals for yourself and reward yourself upon each completion. If constant rewards aren’t your thing, then larger milestones with bigger rewards should do the trick.

What the reward should be also depends on you. Food-motivated people are pretty straightforward. Small rewards, big rewards, food has both.

But what if food doesn’t motivate you? Well, is there something you’ve been wanting to buy but couldn’t justify getting it? Here’s your justification! Now, I’m not telling you to break the bank. Let’s be reasonable here.

What if, though, you’re like me and you hate spending money? Sorry, you’re on your own…just kidding. 🙂 Some things that have helped me are, for starters, just relaxing: kick back and relax, watch a movie, read a book. Or, if you’re excited that you just reached a milestone, set another one and push on ahead. So long as you’re not stressed, use that momentum and charge forward.

The point of all this is that you do need to celebrate and reward yourself. My mother, a few months back, bought me a travel pack of Applejacks cereal, which I love and haven’t had in years! She told me I could have it whenever I want, but that her thought behind it was for a pity party or celebration. Well, that got me thinking. There is now a sticky note on the top of it that says, “Book Contract.” When I get a book contract, I’m going to crack that thing open and enjoy it. Just so you know, that bowl of cereal isn’t my only motivation for writing. I have a lot more and better ones. But it will be a nice little reward I don’t often have. So, go and have some fun!

With Blessings,

Nicolle