16 Songs Perfect for Celebrating an Achievement

So, yeah, the title probably gives it away. I buried the lede, as they say.

Unrelated but fun fact:

As I post this article, it occurs to me that I’m posting on the same date that I celebrated another achievement. Today is May 27, 2023, and 40 years ago today, I graduated from Waco Richfield High School!

We’re the best you’ll ever see,
We’re the class of ’83.
1, 2, 3 … Hook ’em Rams!

Last post, I left you with a cliffhanger again, but hey, I’m posting only a week later instead of two, so there’s that.

If you just happened across this post, allow me to catch you up. Two posts ago, I told you about The Decision I made to set a goal of completing 600 Camp Gladiator (CG) workouts before my two-year anniversary of membership. The Decision was the first part of a three-step process, and it was followed by The Effort.

Ah, yes … my last post included a photo of me and two of my teammates on April 13 — four days before my April 17 deadline — when I had four workouts to go.

Before I published that post, I almost included this photo, but I thought it would be a tad anticlimactic:

As I said in my social media post, I do have to give a shout-out to my teammate Inga. Inga wanted to participate in a race sponsored by Bush’s Chicken the Saturday morning that was a couple of days before my #questfor600 deadline. Inga is fighting an injured knee that in all honesty needs surgery, but for a variety of reasons, she wasn’t ready to commit to that. So she wanted to do the 1-mile fun run … without running. I told her I’d walk it with her. And because she was cheering me on as I worked through my #questfor600, she offered to do a workout with me to get me that much closer. Thank you, Inga!

(I told you I had amazing teammates!)

So now you know … it’s time for The Outcome.

You’ve figured it out already, but…

I DID IT!

On Monday, April 17, 2023 (Happy Birthday to my bestie on that day, too!), my usual 5:15 a.m. workout was my 600th.

I found it only fitting that I wear this shirt:

It’s a great shirt, don’t you think? You can pick one up at Backbone Swag.

My current CG trainer was following my pursuit of the goal, so she had checked in with me to see where I’d stand when I came to camp on Monday. To my surprise, she even prepped a special workout that included combinations of six (6) or 100 reps … usually in two (2) sets, to recognize those two years.

And she even made sure there were no weighted lunges, my kryptonite.

It was incredible.

After the workout, we celebrated! Another special thanks to Inga, who brought her amazing banana bread as a celebration treat. Yum.

If you’ve read my previous posts, you might recall that some days, I work out with people who were in my original CG group before my first trainer took a different position. They celebrated with me, too!

My CG community is simply the best. Not only did they cheer me on, but they also celebrated with me. What’s not to love about that?

Added bonus: My confidence was through the roof for a few days.

My confidence wasn’t hurting, but as you can imagine, my body was. Those extra workouts took a toll on this old body. That’s probably why I laughed a little harder at this Facebook post than I normally would have:

(Yes, it’s legit. You can pick one up on Amazon!)

So there you have it … I achieved my goal. It felt pretty darn good, too.

But what’s next?

I’m already on it.

These nifty 2.5 lb. add-on plates by Micro Gainz have enabled me to add a little weight instead of trying to do CG workouts with 25 lb. dumbbells. You can get them on the Micro Gainz website or on Amazon. (That’s where I got mine. But if you do purchase some, here’s a tip: You might consider getting the set of four smaller plates; having only one plate per dumbbell makes the balance a little wonky.)

And because in my world, you can’t celebrate without music, here’s the playlist.

“These Are Days” by 10,000 Maniacs
Album: Our Time in Eden (1992)

If I hadn’t selected this song as the lead single for this playlist, you would’ve heard it somewhere, eventually. It is one of my all-time favorite songs. Ever. I never get tired of hearing it.

I love the music, and I love the lyrics:

These are days you’ll remember
Never before and never since
I promise
Will the whole world be warm as this

And as you feel it
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky
It’s true that you
Are touched by something
That will grow in you, in you

…

These are the days you might fill with laughter until you break
These days you might feel a shaft of light
Make its way across your face
And when you do you’ll know how it was meant to be
See the signs and know their meaning
It’s true
You’ll know how it was meant to be
Hear the signs and know they’re speaking to you, to you
“These Are Days”

“Moments We Live For” by In Paradise
Album: Feels Like Home (2017)

I realize my #questfor600 accomplishment is still reasonably “fresh” in my mind, but I honestly believe I’ll remember it forever. But not because I’m bragging or overly proud of myself. Yes, I am proud that I was able to finish what I set out to do, but I’ll remember it for what I didn’t expect: the unbelievable support I received from my family, my friends, my incredible teammates … even from some people I don’t even know very well.

I think I’ve always felt a bit like an outsider and a bit of a loner … always on the outside looking in … never quite … enough.

But the interest in my goal and the encouragement from so many people makes me think it just might be time to retire that old soundtrack in my head.

Breathe it in and out
This is what it’s all about
These are the moments, the moments we live for
Once in a lifetime, everything we want and more
This is the start of a new day, the good life
These are the moments we live for
“Moments We Live For”

“Happy Dance” by MercyMe
Album: Lifer (2017)

How could I not include this song? It’s… well, it’s just happy!

And since I’ve spent a pretty significant chunk of my life involved in the marching band world, I loved it even more after viewing this “story behind the song” video on YouTube:

And as happy as I was about accomplishing the goal, this song speaks of the true source of my happiness:

We’ve got reason to get up
Reason to get down
He done traded our sin for joy
And now, that joy wants out
Happy dance (oh!)
“Happy Dance”

Boom, chock. Boom chock ‘oom.

“Winning” by Santana
Album: Zebop! (1981)

This song is definitely on the soundtrack of my life. In 1981, I was in high school, and it definitely takes me back to old RHS.

I’m not the only one it takes back, either. When I found the video on YouTube, I came across this comment:

Check out what the autographed collectible album is going for.

Wow!

“Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys
Album: Girl on Fire (2012)

If you read my previous post, you may have figured out that I’m an Alicia Keys fan. (Seriously, is there anyone who isn’t? If so, I don’t wanna know!)

I became even more of a fan when I learned that Alicia had penned a graphic novel, which the Amazon website calls “a new authentic and poignant coming-of-age young adult graphic novel, about finding the strength within when your whole world changes in an instant.”

Alicia Keys is most certainly a girl on fire.

“The Champion – Bonus Track” by Carrie Underwood, Ludacris
Album: Cry Pretty (2018)

Although she’s probably one of my personal Top Five American Idol winners, I’ll admit, I don’t immediately connect country music darling Carrie Underwood with rap. But I’m not gonna lie … I love this song!

Apparently, NBC Sports did, too … they included it in their coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

I did a little sleuthing to see if I could find out how this pairing came to be.

I found this by Carrie Underwood on the Songfacts® website:

“When we were writing ‘The Champion,’ our main focus was to celebrate athletes at the top of their game, but we also wanted the song to resonate with people in their everyday lives,” Underwood explained. “We hope the lyrics will inspire people to push themselves beyond their limits to conquer anything they are trying to accomplish or overcome. There’s a champion in every single one of us!

“Ludacris came into the picture when we were writing this song ‘The Champion,’ we left a space in it for a potential guest appearance, a potential feature. And we went ’round and ’round about who do we approach, who do we ask, and in my mind, the style of the song with somebody that had his own thing, had a kind of legend status. I wanted something big. I wanted an artist that matched the song, and Ludacris, everything about him just seemed to scream ‘Champion’ to me, and he was just so great.

“And so we sent him everything and he put his part on it, and when we got it back, I thought, ‘Holy Cow! This took it to a whole new level.’ So, I think he was just that piece of the puzzle that was missing, and from the second that I heard it, I was like that was exactly the perfect person to be a part of this. Like I could never imagine anybody else being a part of this, and he just, again, took it to another level.”

Carrie sings the front half of the song:

I’ve been waiting my whole life
To see my name in lights
I am invincible, unbreakable
Unstoppable, unshakeable

They knock me down, I get up again
I am the champion, you’re gon’ know my name
You can’t hurt me now, I can’t feel the pain
I was made for this, yeah, I was born to win
I am the champion, oh

Then, Ludacris chimes in with an incredible spell-out rap of the word “Champion”:

The C is for the courage I possess through the trauma
H is for the hurt, but it’s all for the honor
A is for my attitude working through the patience
Money comes and goes, so the M is for motivation
Gotta stay consistent, the P is for persevere
The I is for integrity, innovative career
The O is optimistic, open and never shut
And the N is necessary ’cause I’m never givin’ up

See, they ask me how I did it, I just did it from the heart
Crushin’ the competition, been doing it from the start
They say that every champion is all about his principles

Love it!

“Hall of Fame” (feat. will.i.am) by The Script, will.i.am
Album: #3 (2012)

Perhaps this song would’ve been better suited for The Decision or The Effort. But how can you not celebrate when you hear it?

Yeah, you can be the greatest
You can be the best
You can be the King Kong banging on your chest

You can beat the world
You can beat the war
You can talk to God, go banging on his door

You can throw your hands up
You can beat the clock (yeah)
You can move a mountain
You can break rocks

You can be a master
Don’t wait for luck
Dedicate yourself and you gon’ find yourself

Standing in the hall of fame (yeah)
And the world’s gonna know your name (yeah)
‘Cause you burn with the brightest flame (yeah)
And the world’s gonna know your name (yeah)
And you’ll be on the walls of the hall of fame

“We’re A Winner” by The Impressions
Album: We’re A Winner (1967)

One of the foremost songs reflecting Black pride, this song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February of 1968.

“Winner” by Pet Shop Boys
Album: Winner (2012)

Pet Shop Boys lead singer Neil Tennant commented that the song “is called ‘Winner’ and superficially it’s a sort of ‘We Are the Champions‘ song but actually it’s not. It’s really about that moment…and really what’s important is the camaraderie of everything that got you there. Enjoy the moment, enjoy the memory ’cause it’s just a little moment.”

One of the moments we live for.

It’s been a long time coming
We’ve been in the running for so long
But now we’re on our way
Let the ride just take us
Side by side and make us
See the world through new eyes every day
“Winner”

“Extraordinary” by Liz Phair
Album: Liz Phair (2003)

You could argue that this song is not exactly about celebrating an achievement, but the way I see it, celebrating an achievement is indeed extraordinary, and I just think “extraordinary” is a fantastic word, so there you have it.

The NCAA seems to agree with me, too. I’ve mentioned before that I love college women’s basketball, and “Extraordinary” holds a spot on my own personal soundtrack because ESPN used it as the theme song for the 2004 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

(Incidentally, 2004 was one year before my beloved Baylor Lady Bears won the NCAA Women’s Basketball national championship for the first time.)

“The Champ” by Nelly (2011)

Singer Nelly describes “The Champ” this way:

“Well, a lot of times athletes might listen to music to get them hype. But this was more of an in-depth feeling. You hear a lot of music that’s more aggressive. But this song is about, you know, the “ever since I was a kid” kind of feeling and, “now I’ve accomplished it.” As opposed to music that might help you accomplish it, this is almost like the final song to be played. But this song is about, you know, the “ever since I was a kid” kind of feeling and, “now I’ve accomplished it.” As opposed to music that might help you accomplish it, this is almost like the final song to be played.”
Nelly

Ah, The Outcome.

Lap after lap, mile after mile
Push up after push up, everybody count it out
Everybody up, now we back down
All my pain and sweat was for this moment right now
“The Champ”

“Roar” by Katy Perry
Album: PRISM (Deluxe) (2013)

Ubiquitous in 2013, Songfacts® calls the song “a bouncy statement by Perry of moving forward into the next stage of her life after the tumultuous end of her marriage to Russell Brand.”

Katy herself said:

“It’s a bit of a self-empowering type of song. I wrote it because I was sick of keeping all these feelings inside and not speaking up for myself, which caused a lot of resentment. Obviously I’ve been through a lot of therapy since my last record and that’s what this is about.”
Katy Perry

I can make it work for celebrating an achievement, too, so here it is!

“Shooting Star” by Owl City (2012)

I only hope and pray that as I posted the pursuit of my goal, perhaps I also met the expectation of Owl City’s admonition:

Fill the darkest night with a brilliant light
Cause it’s time for you to shine
Brighter than a shooting star
So shine no matter where you are
“Shooting Star”

“I Like To Win” by Shonlock
Album: A Night To Remember (2014)

I-I-I like it, too. Especially that marching band drum break.

“The Best” by Tina Turner
Album: All The Best (2004)

Including this song in the soundtrack this week is bittersweet. Just three days ago, on May 24, 2023, the legend Tina Turner left this earth.

I was fortunate to see Tina Turner in concert in about 1984 at the University of Texas. It was one of the best concerts I ever attended.

This song came later in Tina’s career, but it’s one of my favorites of hers. On my soundtrack, it will always be linked to the many of the 12 consecutive Big 12 conference championships my Lady Bears won, as it often blasted over the sound system as green and gold confetti rained from the catwalk of the Ferrell Center.

Rest in Peace, Anna Mae.

The Decision was intimidating. The Effort felt endless, but at the same time, it was oddly energizing.

The Outcome was worth every bit of it.

I assure you that even with the encouragement and cheering of family, friends, teammates, and social media followers, I absolutely could not have done this on my own without the one who gives me strength.

“Every Victory – Live” by The Belonging Co, Danny Gokey (2021)

There’s a performance video of this one on YouTube, but I especially love this one. And if you’re so inclined, you can even learn to play the song if you watch to the end.

We will lift our eyes
We won’t fear the fight
There is one who’s stronger

Hard pressed on each side
We will not lose sight
Of the one who’s greater

One name, one name holds every victory
One voice that silences the enemy
One king who reigns for all eternity
Jesus, Jesus

On the battlefield
Your power is revealed
Giants fall defeated

We are taking ground
Walls are falling down
In the mighty Name of Jesus

Every victory is Yours
Every victory is Yours
You rose, You reign

Death is buried in the grave
Hell could not defy your name
You rose, You reign

Oh, the battle is the Lord’s
Oh, the victory is Yours
“Every Victory”