What is a complimentary celebration you might be asking? Firstly, it’s a resolution. Each December I like to take stock of the year’s triumphs and miscalculations to recenter myself. As I sit and think about the defining moments of the past year, my vision for the future becomes more clear. This practice influences my new year’s resolutions, and hopefully gives me the insight to choose relevant and attainable goals.
The trick is though, I will never write down a goal that I have no chance of completing, and I typically keep my list short to give my future self the satisfaction of crossing everything off. This December, that kind-of felt like cheating. I wanted to push myself in a new way with my resolutions. Instead of writing “study abroad” when I’d already turned in an application to go to France, I wanted my resolutions to actually require my work and effort. That brings me to my 2024 resolutions, and to the true meaning of complimentary celebrations.
A complimentary celebration is a challenge to myself. The exact resolution that inspired the name is Celebrate yourself without making purchases. The general idea is for me to find free ways to acknowledge my accomplishments. I think there are many benefits to celebrating yourself. It is a self-confidence boost and an act of self-love. It also positively reinforces good behavior, making you more likely to repeat the behavior. The part where celebrations can get tricky is their cost. I’ve found that my coffees and sweet treats add up way too quickly. I decided that this year I don’t want to spend a lot of extra money on rewards for myself, and I’d rather find creative, complimentary rewards.
Since starting a blog was another resolution of mine, I wanted the foundation and purpose of the blog to be grounded in my 2024 resolutions. I returned to my list to see what else I’d felt inspired to tackle in 2024. The idea of complimentary celebrations stuck out to me as something that could become both a goal and a philosophy. Complimentary celebrations aren’t just cheap alternatives to rewards; they are the hidden gifts in everyday life that add joy. It’s my hope that this blog will document the complimentary celebrations in my life, which will make me more aware of them. Maybe then, you’ll find yourself admiring the complimentary celebrations in your life too.
