• by Bryan Boettger , July 23, 2013

In social media we talk so often of solving problems. Dealing with trolls. Managing content. Handling nights and weekends.

Yet rarely do we discuss dealing with our success.

And successes happen all the time. The individual you help on Facebook. The retweet by an influencer on Twitter. The video that gets picked up by an industry blogger.

So, how do we note, celebrate and commemorate the good moments? Go out to a bar? Have a nice meal? Buy some new clothes?

I think the answer should be somewhere in between. The answer is a little different for everyone, but the key factors are:

-       Something you buy

-       Something special (note, not "expensive" necessarily)

-       Something that runs out

The key here is that third item: "something that runs out." Let me explain by example.

I had a major success recently. In celebration, I bought a bottle of bourbon I've been wanting to try. Having a drink of the bourbon signified conquering the challenge I had set. Seeing the bottle on the shelf reminds me of my ability to do big things. Yet, the fact that the bottle will one day be empty reminds me that all things are fleeting.

And, thus, the crux of getting "something that runs out."

You see, knowing the item will be gone also reminds you that your successes have a shelf life. You can rest on your laurels only so long -- and increasingly that time is less and less. You need the mental confidence of knowing you can achieve great things, but you also need to keep pushing.

For me, a bottle of bourbon is right. For others, booze might not be appropriate. Some other options:

-       A special ingredient for cooking

-       Lotion or make-up

-       Lessons (golf, dance, etc.)

The key is that the items last for a while -- as a reminder of what you can achieve -- but also expire -- to remind you of the need to move to the next goal.