The Joyful Habit Hack You’re Probably Skipping
Let’s be real: If habit change was about discipline alone, we’d all be thriving by now.
But the reason most habits don’t stick?
We skip the most joyful step - celebration.
🎯 Why Celebration Works
Celebration isn't just a mood booster. It's a neuroscience-backed strategy.
According to BJ Fogg, PhD, celebration is the fastest way to create a new habit. When you attach positive emotion to a behavior, your brain registers it as important and wants to do it again.
Here’s why: dopamine.
Dopamine is your brain’s “reward messenger.” It gets released not just when something feels good—but when your brain wants to reinforce a behavior.
📖 A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that when a habit was paired with a positive emotional response, the likelihood of repeating it increased significantly (source).
🙈 Why We Skip It
Many women - especially high performers - have learned to delay celebration.
We tell ourselves:
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“Don’t get too excited.”
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“You haven’t earned it yet.”
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“It’s not a big deal.”
But science says otherwise.
The Progress Principle, coined by Harvard researchers Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, shows that small wins, when recognized and celebrated, lead to massive momentum and emotional well-being.
So if you’re waiting to celebrate, you’re missing the very thing that creates consistency.
💛 How to Celebrate (Without Feeling Silly)
Let’s make celebration normal again. Here’s how:
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Celebrate immediately. Within 5 seconds of completing the habit.
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Make it physical. Smile, raise your arms, say “Yes!” - create a visceral association.
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Speak to your identity. Reinforce who you’re becoming: “This is me now.”
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Keep it light. Add music, confetti, stickers, or tell a friend. Whatever feels joyful!
🧠 Make Your Brain Crave Good Habits
When you celebrate small actions, you:
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Build emotional reinforcement.
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Increase likelihood of repetition.
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Create positive associations that support long-term behavior change.
It’s not about being “perfect.”
It’s about wiring joy into your routines.
💥 My Challenge for You Today
What habit are you trying to build?
Drink more water? Eat more plants? Walk daily?
Whatever it is - do it today.
Then celebrate like a woman who keeps her promises.
Because she is.
👯♀️ Want a joyful space where we celebrate wins and build real, lasting change?
Come join us in the ENJOY Community. It’s free, fun, and full of habit-building magic.