We don’t always know when we’ve done something worth celebrating.
Because sometimes, the work is quiet. Sometimes, the win is invisible. And sometimes, you’re the only one who saw how hard that thing actually was.
So when you do something you’re proud of—something that took more out of you than anyone will ever know—don’t rush past it.
Pause. Acknowledge it. Let yourself feel it.
And when someone else does something worth celebrating—even a little—do the same.
This is a small collection of ways I try to do that. For myself. For others. For the people around me who might not hear it otherwise.
Check in
There’s something powerful about reflecting on your own work.
Pausing at the end of a day or a week. Asking yourself: What did I do? What am I proud of? Where did I grow?
So much effort goes unseen. Not because others don’t care—but because they can’t always feel the nuances the way you do.
Sometimes the win was…
- Just showing up to the meeting you wanted to cancel
- Replying to the message that made your chest tighten
- Dragging your body to the keyboard when all you wanted was to disappear
And nobody saw it. No one clapped. No one said “great job.” No one even knew it happened. But you did.
Celebrate those tiny wins.
Not in a big “spend the day dining and shopping” treat yo-self kind of way—but in a quiet act of acknowledgment, the kind that might end in nothing more than a nod and a smile.
Let it breathe
Here’s one of my favorite tips for celebrating something you’re really proud of—especially if it’s something creative you just finished and can’t wait to share.
Several years ago, Jerry Seinfeld shared this on The Tim Ferriss Show:
“Never talk to anyone about what you wrote that day, that day.
You have to wait 24 hours to ever say anything to anyone about what you did, because you never want to take away that wonderful, happy feeling that you did that very difficult thing…”
I use this all the time. Not always for exactly 24 hours. But I do give my work space to breathe—before letting feedback in.
Don’t let someone else’s comment — even a good one — intercept the feeling of “I did it.” Let yourself enjoy the win. Protect the spark. Celebrate first.
Quiet notes
Some of the best celebrations are the ones you don’t expect. Not 60 people yelling “SURPRISE”—but the quiet, intentional kind.
Public praise isn’t bad. However, mass acknowledgment isn’t the same as being seen.
Like a DM from a teammate.
You see the notification and assume it’s a request:
“I’ll check this later.”
Thirty minutes pass. You open it. And it simply says:
“Hey! Thanks for all your work today. Appreciated how you pushed this along. Glad you’re here on this team.”
No ask. No follow-up. Just a real moment of gratitude.
Those messages are free to give. But feel priceless to receive.
Sometimes they mean more than the Slack thread at launch, where your name scrolls past with 50 others like movie credits.
Pass It On
The nicest things people say about someone… are often said when they’re not around.
- “I really admire how so-and-so stepped up here.”
- “Their write-up was super thoughtful.”
- “I hope someone told them how much that helped.”
Whenever I hear something like that, I do one of two things:
- Ask them to pass it on directly
- Or do it myself
Because I know—we do things every day and wonder:
“Does anyone notice?... Does anyone care?”
They do. They’re just not always good at expressing it.
So when you feel appreciation: say it. Send it. Share it.
That single message could be the highlight of someone’s entire week.
The Moment
You don’t need a party. You don’t need a LinkedIn post. You don’t need a giant banner that says “look what I did.”
But you do need a moment. Especially when things are hard.
So give yourself that moment. Give it to someone else, too.
Celebrate quietly. Celebrate often. Celebrate for real.
Because whether you say it out loud or not—that little nod, that smile, that single message—might be the most meaningful part of someone’s entire day.