The Habit High-Performers Forget (But Can’t Thrive Without) – Celebrating Your Wins

Written by Fabienne Renders, Women’s Leadership Mentor | L&D Expert

Fabienne helps women leaders to expand their influence and impact authentically, resulting in more balance and financial success. She is the founder of TalentMakers®, the creator of Start-To-Lead®, and the author of "The She Leader”, published in 2022.

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Do you ever feel like you're racing from one achievement to the next without really seeing what you’ve accomplished? Another milestone checked. Another goal hit. Another project wrapped. But no pause. No exhale. No moment to truly see what you’ve accomplished.

I know I have. For years, I moved from milestone to milestone, from project to project, without ever pausing to acknowledge what went well.

And after three decades of walking alongside corporate leaders, HR professionals, project managers, and entrepreneurs, I’ve seen this pattern play out again and again, especially with ambitious, driven leaders. We’re wired to strive, not to stop. But here is the truth, when we skip the celebration, we short-circuit our growth.

Because celebrating your wins isn’t a luxury, it is a self-leadership practice. It builds momentum. It reinforces confidence. And most of all, it reminds you of who you are and what you’re capable of.

The trap of “What’s next?”

In high-performance cultures, success often goes unnoticed, at least by the person who achieved it.

You’ve led a workshop that shifted team dynamics? Delivered a product launch under impossible timelines? Navigated a tough conversation with grace?

And yet, you downplay it. You move on. Why? Because we’re conditioned to chase the next mountain, the next challenge, the next checkbox. And that is exactly how burnout creeps in and how confidence slowly erodes.

When you celebrate, everything changes

Here is what I have seen time and again in my consulting and coaching practice. When leaders begin the simple habit of acknowledging their wins, something shifts.

They start to walk taller. Speak clearer. Lead with more calm. And they stop outsourcing their worth to performance reviews or external praise.

Celebration reconnects you to your own power. It is the quiet, daily fuel behind clarity, courage, and influence.

Confidence is built by evidence: Your two-step celebration ritual

Most of us forget how much we’ve accomplished. Worse, we obsess over the few things that didn’t go well and ignore the 90 percent that did.

That is why I created two simple exercises in The SHE Leader journal, tools I use myself and with clients.

Step 1: Make your success visible

Write down 50 accomplishments from your past, big or small. Yes, 50. It might feel awkward at first, but once you get going, the list will surprise you.

It might include everything from “I set a boundary and stuck to it”, “I redesigned our onboarding experience”, “I asked for help”, to “I navigated a tough conversation without losing myself”.

Step 2: Anchor the habit

Every single day, record 3 wins, big or small. Each time you write, you reinforce the message, I am growing. I am learning. I am leading. These tiny shifts in awareness compound into something powerful, unshakeable self-trust.

Want to go deeper? Three celebration rituals that actually build leadership muscle

Whether you lead a team of 2 or 200, embed these rhythms into your week.

Personal ritual (daily, 5 minutes)

• Write down 3 wins

• Name the behavior or mindset behind each

• Ask, what do I want to repeat tomorrow?

Team ritual (weekly, 15 minutes)

• Start every team call with a “win round”

• Celebrate progress and contributions, not just end results

• Invite team members to recognize each other

Leadership ritual (monthly, 30 minutes)

• Reflect on the month’s leadership growth

• Note the tough calls you made, the clarity you brought, the energy you shifted

• Share this with a coach, mentor, or journal because growth accelerates when it is witnessed

The ripple effect: When you celebrate, others rise

Here is something magical that happens when you model this as a leader. Your team starts celebrating too. They become more resilient, more focused, more energized.

Why? Because you have changed the story. From “always more” to “look how far we’ve come”. From “not enough yet” to “already making an impact”. That is not just nice. That is powerful leadership.

Final thought: Don’t wait for permission to feel proud

So many of us have internalized the idea that we need to earn celebration. That pride only comes after big milestones.

But you don’t need a promotion, a perfect performance review, or an award to be worthy of celebration.

You only need this moment. To pause. To acknowledge.To breathe in the fact that you did that. You showed up. You led. You grew. And that deserves to be seen.

Want to build this habit for real? My journal, The SHE Leader, is your daily companion. Packed with prompts, exercises, and inspiration to help you track your wins, grow your confidence, and lead with clarity. Explore The SHE Leader on Amazon.

Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

Read more from Fabienne Renders

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Fabienne Renders, Women’s Leadership Mentor | L&D Expert

Fabienne is the leadership mentor to female leaders who want to improve their careers and life. She is passionate about helping them expand their influence and impact while enjoying being true to themselves.

She is the founder of TalentMakers® and the creator of Start-To-Lead®. She has been in the corporate world for over 30 years and has helped thousands of employees of renowned companies learn and develop.

Her mission: Better Leadership for a Better World.