Celebrate with confetti as frequently as possible.
That’s the advice from James Ferguson, author of The Confetti Culture Playbook.
“Celebrate every step of the way, not just the touchdowns but the first downs, too,” he says.
Content entrepreneurs aren’t known for doing a lot of celebrating. After all, most of you are or were solo businesses. It can seem awkward to throw confetti when you’re alone, but you should do it or devise another celebratory act that works for you.
James says it’s just about taking time to appreciate the wins.
Infants, he says, are conditioned to need and seek encouragement, approval, and praise as a motivator in the process of learning through failure. But as you get older, you suppress that foundational need and don’t want to brag or boast in fear of judgment.
“If you put more energy and focus on seeking the good moments throughout each day rather than exhausting the bad, then you will find and focus on the good in each day,” James says.
You should celebrate that DM from someone who likes the content you created. Cheer for a milestone number of impressions achieved by a piece of content. Or maybe you celebrate finishing an article or reading a book that elevates your expertise.
“There are so many things worth celebrating throughout the day and week if you choose to seek them. It’s all about self-talk and celebrating small wins,” James says.
But the key to celebration is not getting caught up in the comparison game with fellow entrepreneurs and content competitors. Always focus on you against you, he says.
How to celebrate in your content business
James really uses confetti to celebrate everything with his teams and encourages you to throw confetti daily.
We have some more suggestions for those who don’t want to add “clean up confetti mess” to your lengthy to-do list.
I like to correlate my celebrations to the effort involved. For example, I reward myself with a 30-minute internet surfing break when I complete an article by my self-imposed deadline. Sometimes, I celebrate the end of a successful week by purchasing and reading one of my favorite magazines. I know one person who celebrates by compiling all the positive comments and feedback into a notebook she looks at whenever she feels imposter syndrome.
The key is to create celebrations and celebratory rituals that will motivate you to appreciate your accomplishments, small and big, and move on to what’s next.
Ella Ritchie of Stellar Communications recently celebrated in a unique way. She and a colleague created a lead magnet to celebrate Ella’s invitation to be a guest on a podcast.
“I provided the content, and she provided the design. We’re both using it as a giveaway on podcasts and as a freebie on our websites to build our email lists. We share a target audience, so it’s a win-win for both of us,” Ella says.
But a lead magnet as a celebratory act? Most definitely, Ella says.
“It’s the perfect way to celebrate a business milestone. It is on the heels of a win that, no matter how small, recharged me as a business owner,” she says. “Being invited to a podcast inspired me to brainstorm a new way to serve my audience, build my email list, and seek a win-win collaboration with a colleague.
“Each new milestone breathes life into me and my business, and the products or services inspired along the way serve as both celebrations of what has been accomplished and launching pads for what is possible.”
About the author
Ann regularly combines words and strategy for B2B, B2C, and nonprofits, continuing to live up to her high school nickname, Editor Ann. An IABC Communicator of the Year and founder of G Force Communication, Ann coaches and trains professionals in all things content. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
