Celebrate Your Wins (and Still Hit Your Financial Goals)
I’ll be honest: I’m not naturally great at celebrating my progress.
I value productivity. I value efficiency. And I have a tendency that I think a lot of high-achievers share: I hit a goal… and immediately move on to the next one. I don't usually pause to acknowledge what I’ve accomplished. It’s more like, "Great, that’s done—what’s next?"
But recently, I’ve been working on this.
My business coaches have encouraged me to really stop and celebrate the progress I’m making. And I’ve found that it’s not only helpful—it’s fun and motivating. It reinforces my wins and gets me excited for the next one.
One of the things we did in a recent 90-day challenge was something called "ringing the bell." Every time someone signed a new client, we posted a bell-ringing gif in our Facebook group (I’m still shocked by how many bell-ringing gifs are out there!)—our way of acknowledging the win. It was a simple and fun way to celebrate together.
Why Celebrating Matters
As a financial coach, I see a lot of people wait to celebrate until they hit their ‘big goal’ (like paying off ALL their debt)—but that’s not the only win that matters. Celebrating your progress along the way does a few important things:
It reinforces success
It builds momentum
It helps prevent burnout (especially if you're a goal-setter by nature)
It makes the journey more enjoyable—not just the finish line
It helps you build confidence in yourself—you can set goals and achieve them!
And celebrating doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, or cost anything.
A couple of my favorite ways to treat myself when I hit a milestone?
Froyo at my favorite spot—Vanilla Cake Batter with Andes Mints, if you're wondering 😊
Giving myself guilt-free time off—maybe doing a puzzle and listening to an audiobook
Both are small things. One costs less than $10, one costs nothing.
But both help me pause and say, “I did something worth acknowledging.”
Tie Your Celebrations to Your Goals
If you’ve read my post on Good, Better, Best goal-setting, you know I’m a big fan of using that method to create goals that motivate me. Why not pair each goal level with a pre-planned treat?
Here’s how that could look:
Good goal? Treat yourself to a walk in Balboa Park or a long bath
Better goal? Go out to lunch with a friend or get your nails done
Best goal? Hire a housekeeper for a deep clean or get a massage
Planning your celebrations ahead of time helps ensure you actually stop to celebrate your successes.
Celebrating Doesn’t Have to Cost Money
While it’s absolutely fine to spend money to celebrate your successes, there are so many ways that don’t cost a dime. Here are a few to consider:
Watch the sunset
Take a bubble bath
Take a nap
Create your very own victory dance
Have a beach day
Have an at-home movie night with your pet and/or your kids
Share your win with someone who’ll cheer for you
The point is: celebrations don’t have to cost money for them to be meaningful.
A Quick Word of Caution (If You Need It)
I want your celebrations to feel good in the long run, not just the short term.
It’s totally okay to spend money to treat yourself, but I recommend you try to be intentional about it.
Ask yourself:
Is this treat aligned with my current financial priorities?
Am I spending out of joy, or to escape something?
Is this a celebration—or a setback in disguise?
As with most things in life, it’s about balance. I truly believe you can find a way to balance treating yourself (including with things that cost money) and hitting your financial goals.
Bottom Line: Intentional Celebration = Sustainable Motivation
Whether you’re saving money, paying off debt, or building a business—don’t forget to celebrate your progress. You don’t have to wait for the big win to acknowledge the small ones.
Celebrating along the way keeps your motivation up and helps you build confidence that you can achieve your next goal. And it can be as simple as some yummy froyo, a nice bubble bath, or a quiet evening with your favorite book.
You’re doing hard things.
Pause. Celebrate. Then keep going.
