Today’s newsletter looks at the value of celebrating small wins, or those minor victories that we achieve on the way to longer-term goals.

It’s not uncommon to dismiss these types of wins—whether that's because they're so seemingly insignificant that they go unnoticed or because we struggle to congratulate ourselves for achieving only a “small” piece of the puzzle.

Acknowledging and appreciating tiny victories, however, can have a significant influence not only how easy or hard it is to getting to a larger goal, but also on our self-confidence, which in turn will also influence how easy or hard it is to get to that larger goal.

You may be wondering why small wins can have such a big impact?

First of all, small wins can help to build momentum.

Every win, no matter how small, is adding fuel to propel you forward. That may sound corny, but if you've ever worked toward a long-term goal, and started off strong and energized only to find yourself halfway through the process starting to lose enthusiasm, or coming up against obstacles, then you probably understand how easy it can be to get derailed at that point. It can make you want to throw in the towel.

That's not to say that you should never quit, but sometimes we have to keep pushing if we want to get to where we want to be, and if we've been acknowledging the small victories along the way, we typically won't have to dig as deep to find the motivation to push ourselves when we feel challenged.

A second way that small wins can make a difference is that they can remove some of the pressure of having to achieve everything all at once. 

It may sound obvious, but sometimes we forget that each individual step we take toward a long-term goal is creating a foundation that we continue to build on. When we break down the process by noticing and appreciating all the steps we’re taking to get to desired outcome, it can feel less overwhelming and more manageable.

A third way that small wins can help in moving toward a larger goal is that they can help to manage discomfort around uncertainty and potential failure.

While we may know what our goal is or where we want to end up, it's not always possible to know all the steps in between or how everything is going to play out on our way to that destination.

That can be an uncomfortable concept to sit with, especially if we like to plan and know what to expect or if we struggle with uncertainty and don't like the idea of failure or making a mistake.

By acknowledging small wins, however, and allowing ourselves to celebrate them, we're taking pleasure in the journey rather than solely focusing on the goal, so if failure or an unforeseen obstacle does pop up, it's less likely to knock us off track.

We're more likely to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back on the proverbial horse because we've learned to enjoy the process of getting to the goal rather than simply achieving the goal.

A fourth way that small wins can make a difference is by reinforcing confidence. 

Studies have shown that when we recognize and reward ourselves for what might seem like even tiny achievements, it creates a positive feedback loop by activating the brain's reward system, which releases dopamine, a feel-good hormone that is linked to motivation.

So by celebrating our wins, we are more likely to feel good, which will boost our self-confidence and self-esteem, and we're more likely to feel motivated to keep taking steps forward.

All four of these reasons may seem somewhat obvious, but they can sometimes be easy to forget when we’re struggling.

So, if you’re finding it difficult to achieve a goal, or if you feel stuck, or maybe you’re prone to overlooking or discounting small wins as not that special, see if you can instead start to notice the tiny victories and even celebrate them from time to time.

The more we can do this with consistent practice, it can start to become a habit, which can then become part of our mindset. And it might make working toward goals or trying new things a little bit easier.

Additional Takes on Small Wins

“From Small Steps to Big Wins: The Importance of Celebrating” via Psychology Today

“What Small Wins Have You Had Recently?” via the NYT

“Teresa Amabile: Track Your Small Wins to Motivate Big Accomplishments” via 99U