Quick Tip: Why Small Wins Can Make a Big Difference

Do you ever struggle to give yourself credit for the small steps you take because they don’t seem that significant?

When working toward a larger goal or big life change, it can be easy to discount the small steps or even the small wins that we’re accomplishing along the way. Sometimes they just don’t seem that significant, especially if we’re comparing them to our end goal.

But acknowledging small wins can have a big impact on our self-confidence, motivation and our ability to accomplish what we put our minds to.

Reason #1

If you’re wondering why, well, one big reason is that small wins can help to build momentum.

There’s the popular Chinese proverb that says “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step,” and it’s true.

While the first step we take may be the hardest, it’s also pretty necessary if we’re ever gonna get to where we want to be.

But, as you may be familiar with, taking small sometimes even tiny steps forward is not always a glamorous or exciting process, and sometimes we can lose enthusiasm or get burnt out along the way.

This came up in the episode with Daniela Wolfe, a licensed master social worker and burnout prevention specialist, who also advocated for celebrating small wins because these seemingly tiny achievements, if acknowledged, create a positive feedback loop in the brain.

When we set and hit a goal, even if it’s small, we get a dopamine hit, which makes us feel good and can increase motivation.

So if the process of change is taking longer than we expected or we keep running up against roadblocks, the more we can trigger that positive feedback loop in the brain, the easier it is to keep going, even when we want to give up.

Many of us also live in an instant gratification society, where you can order almost anything you want in the morning and have it delivered to your house before you go to bed.

So the idea that we might have to wait days, weeks, even months before we see change or see our efforts start to pay off, can almost seem like a foreign concept.

Reason #2

This relates to the second way that celebrating small wins can make a big difference, which is that this type of mentality can reduce some of the pressure of having to achieve everything all at once.

Again, a lot of things in life take longer than an Amazon delivery, and that can feel discouraging, especially if we’re super focused on the end goal.

It can also build frustration because if we’re more focused on the fact that we want to lose 30 pounds rather than the fact that we’ve already lost five, the message the mind is picking up is that we’re still 25 pounds short of our goal.

If we can instead switch the focus to the fact that we’ve lost five pounds, and that’s great, it’s probably going to be easier to pass on the tempting piece of chocolate cake or push ourselves to take the after-dinner walk, both of which would get us closer to the end goal.

Plus, every time you stop and appreciate how far you’ve come, you’re reinforcing your self-confidence by acknowledging your commitment to yourself and your goals. (For even more on this idea, check out the episode on mythbusting confidence with Jenny Evans.)

Reason #3

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

While we may have an idea of what our end goal is, it's not always possible to know how or when we’re going to get there.

That can be uncomfortable to sit with, especially if we’re planners or don’t love the idea of making a mistake.

By acknowledging small wins along the way, however, we’re kind of calibrating for the fact that we most likely will fail or face a setback or two.

In other words, it’s much easier to feel resilient and pick yourself back up after getting knocked back when you feel good about yourself because you’ve been acknowledging your efforts or cheering yourself on.

Try It Out

If you happen to be prone to overlooking small wins or discounting them, one way to get into the practice is by journaling or intentionally reflecting at the end of the day, a week or maybe even a month.

Whatever works for you, as long as you’re truly able to give yourself credit for what you’ve been accomplishing.

*Disclaimer: The information contained in this podcast is for the sole purpose of being informative and is not considered complete.