The above image is a historical artifact. Colima dog. It dates back to circa 100 BCE-300 CE. (x)
And, around two thousand years later it was originally shaped with care, painted with love, and adored… someone draws it. Draws it using a new technological device that allows modern people to shape things with care, paint with love, and even move them -on a screen, glowing.
And the said person decides to share it with the world. The whole world adores it.
I love the connection between past and today. We were humans back then, and we are still the same.
If you have achieved something, please remember to observe a mandatory period of basking in the warm glow of your achievement like a lizard on a stone, lest you teach your brain that effort is futile, actually, because it didn’t get to enjoy its happy chemicals, so, naturally, nothing good ever comes of trying. (And no, avoiding punishment is not a reward!)
I recommend, like, 5% of basking time in relation to whatever time you invested into achieving the thing minimum. And if you can’t make your own bask, friend-brought is fine (= tell your friends!).
5% is a long time for some things and the idea of actually celebrating my efforts for that long is kinda blowing my mind. hm.
exhale deeply and consciously let go of the tension
move elsewhere (sat at your desk? go and sit on the couch. finished in the kitchen? go to any other room. not yet up for moving? change the background music/noise you had on.)
bathroom break?
grab a snack?
Look at your accomplished task from a distance and feel smug about it
no seriously, if you don’t feel like you’re embodying the smug cat meme try getting a little more physical or temporal distance, or a friend-shaped reality check, and then look at it again
do One (1) small task your brain kept pestering you about while you were Accomplishing The Thing
also feel smug about that because you totally beat your brain about letting you do The Thing first and now you’ve completed two (2!!) tasks
depending on how long Accomplishing The Thing took you may now move on to your next Thing OR continue basking to reach the 5% of time invested:
find a comfortable place to be and do a spoon-refilling activity: take a nap, scroll tumblr, read fanfic, write fanfic, gush about blorbos, stare out of the open window with the cool evening breeze brushing over your skin as gentle as a loving caress and drink the Tasty Beverage of your choice (specific example is specific, but iykyk), etc pp
remember you accomplished The Thing and are now Basking.
you are but a large predator enjoying the fruits of its labour and recharging after the successful hunt, no need to go charging off after the next prey just yet
all that Fun Stuff you thought you’d rather be doing while you were busy with The Thing? Do it now.
(well, maybe not all at once, we’re still basking in our accomplishment after all and moving erratically would defeat the purpose)
perceive The Accomplished Thing in passing and think ‘ha, I did it, I got you, I won!’ I’ll leave it up to you whether you’ll use your villain or your hero voice
repeat until the next Thing is due
integrate normal, life preserving measures such as making food or sleeping as needed
[Image shows the tags,
#mental health #ooh interesting # … how does it work? #I feel like I need a bulleted list on How To Bask In Your Accomplishments
End ID.]
I want to emphasize “or a milestone within”. When I finish a novel draft I set it down for A FULL MONTH. During which time I both gain the distance to let me edit it more objectively and during which I bask in accomplishment and laze about indolently and engage other hobbies. I do not wait till the whole book is done, edited and published.
If you don’t let yourself celebrate steps along the way you are drastically less likely to finish the thing.
I’ve actually been thinking a lot about how I don’t get any satisfaction out of completing tasks or projects, even ones I’ve set for myself that *should* be pleasurable. Rather than receiving an emotional reward, all I ever seem to feel is shame and existential dread. All I can think about is the time I’ve already wasted; the things I’ve neglected; what’s left undone and what I need to do next. I’m only motivated to start tasks/projects when I feel compelled (almost possessed) to do so—because I can’t think about anything else until the fixation is out of the way. I genuinely wish self-fulfillment and joy could be the source of my motivations instead. So maybe this idea will help me and others like me. Maybe we can train our brains to experience a sense of accomplishment? 🤷♀️