A survey has found that 73% of people have felt proud of an achievement but kept it to themselves, while nearly half (46%) say they failed to celebrate a personal success.
The Avanti West Coast study also revealed that 64% of those quizzed admit to playing down their accomplishments. The nation's reserved nature extends to celebrating others, with six in ten saying they find it difficult to tell someone they're proud of them, despite 79% agreeing that even a small gesture of recognition can make their day.
Appetite for Celebrating Small Wins
More than three-quarters of adults believe more effort should be made to celebrate life's little wins, while 71% feel there's not enough positive news day-to-day. Personal accomplishments, from facing a fear to trying something new, are considered just as worthy of a shoutout as big life events such as a wedding, promotion or milestone birthday.
More than two-thirds of people say stepping outside your comfort zone deserves recognition, while 65% would celebrate someone overcoming a fear. Everyday wins should also be acknowledged, according to the survey: more than half of British adults think remembering someone's birthday without a reminder is worth celebrating, while 44% say keeping a houseplant alive is an achievement. Even going a day without a takeaway merits some recognition, according to 39% of Brits quizzed.
Avanti West Coast Launches Shoutout Service
This is why Avanti West Coast enlisted the help of comedian and Britain's Got Talent winner Axel Blake to take over its PA system with a series of celebratory shoutouts. Launching the new Shoutout Service today, Axel celebrated a 21st birthday en route to Manchester, two friends marking seven years of friendship, and a heartfelt message from a husband thanking his wife for helping him get his business off the ground. There was also a special announcement on the Manchester to Euston line for Conor, whose friends dobbed him in for falling in love with every girl he meets.
The Shoutout Service has been created to help customers feel special while travelling along the West Coast Main Line, supporting Avanti West Coast's ambition to make journeys more personal and memorable.
Axel said: "I had such a laugh doing this. You never really know how people will react when they hear their name announced to a whole train, but everyone was such a good sport.
"It doesn't have to be some massive achievement to be worth celebrating. Sometimes it's just nice to let someone know you appreciate them, and if you can give them a laugh at the same time, even better."
Kathryn O'Brien, Customer Experience Director at Avanti West Coast, said: "There's something lovely about celebrating someone when they least expect it.
"Whether it's a new job, a birthday or a small personal achievement, those moments deserve to be recognised.
"We know many of our customers are travelling for an important occasion and we want to help make those moments even more memorable by sharing their stories.
"The Shoutout Service is all about bringing a little more joy to journeys and making our customers feel special."
If you want to celebrate a friend, family member, partner or colleague, visit the Avanti West Coast website.
