Celebrate even small successes on the way to your goal!
Hello API Job Corps Centers,
Today’s topic is “Celebrating Wins.” In our non-stop Job Corps world, we often do not take the time to celebrate wins. We gloss over things that go well and keep on trucking since there is always another task to complete and another fire to put out. Celebrating is important and can help us meet our goals and have a good time doing it. Brenda Bence, a branding expert and certified executive coach, speaks about the need to celebrate wins. I have adapted a few of her thoughts to our Job Corps Centers. We should celebrate our wins because:
1) Focusing on a goal and keeping one’s eyes and ears on the result really works.
You may have heard that “what you focus on expands” and it is true. Focusing on what you want to see, what will bring you and your team joy, and what is best for the Center and students, will ensure that as we strive for excellence, we get closer to it.
2) When we win we feel motivated.
Celebrating wins increases intrinsic motivation or behavior that is driven by internal, not external rewards. In other words, when motivation arises from within, it makes us feel good and it drives a winning mindset.
3) Celebrating reminds staff that they work for a winning center.
People want to work for winners! One of the greatest morale-builders for Job Corps Center employees is the knowledge that they work for a successful Job Corps Center and successful Job Corps operators (API and MTC!).
4) Celebrating allows you to concentrate on the positive rather than the negative.
We really have so much to celebrate. Our centers are open, ours students are continuing their learning, virtual enrollment is on the horizon, and through it all, we all have kept our jobs. Good things are happening at our Centers and we need to let everyone know (our family, our community, our colleagues, our company and our clients—the students).
5) Celebrating builds momentum for you and your team.
When success is celebrated, everyone is reminded that the ability to reach one specific goal indicates just how easy it can be to achieve even greater goals. Celebration builds momentum.
Dewitt Jones, photographer for National Geographic, was asked to, “celebrate what's right with the world” each time he was on assignment. In his beautiful images, we discover that there is far more right with the world than there is wrong with it. I would encourage you look at our world through a more positive lens. As Mr. Jones says, “Change your lens, change your life.” Let’s all celebrate what is going well---and wellness will expand.
Do me a favor. Share one positive story today with someone on Center and watch what happens. Continue to stay safe.
Dr. Wild