The Psychology Of Small Wins: Why (And How) You Should Celebrate Small Wins

We want to be successful in all our endeavors and celebrate our achievements but in the run to look at the bigger picture, we often overlook the small wins. Goals and dreams are great. They give our lives a purpose but what about the small steps that take us to our goals and dreams?

We humans find it easy to focus on the poor performances and overlook the little wins. Quickly condemned, the poor performance can cause us to feel guilty and can bring us down. Our minds naturally focus on failure and are quick to give up on our goals and dreams.

We all have failed at least once in our lives. From Thomas Edison to Elon Musk, they’ve all faced failures so what is the secret to success, their success? How do they stay happy and achieve their dreams? And if they can, why can’t we?

Let’s explore the psychology of small wins and why you should celebrate small wins in this article. Plus, as a bonus, keep an eye out for tips on how to celebrate small wins.

What’s The Psychology Behind Small Wins?

There’s a small wins theory that states that your life can simplify when you learn to break your problems into smaller pieces. When faced with failure, we find it easy to lose our self-confidence and self-esteem. But did you know that celebrating small wins can ramp up your self-esteem and confidence?

Well, when you learn to focus on the small wins of everyday life, these small wins keep you motivated to keep pursuing your goals and dreams.

You can’t run if you can’t walk, after all. You need a foundation before you can build a house. One step at a time matters. More than you might think. No matter how much you try, you can’t take one giant leap and reach your goals and dreams just like that. Facing failures, barriers, and poor performances is inevitable yet important when it comes to reaching your dreams.

Of course, the bigger your dreams, the bigger problems you’ll face. When that happens it’s common to feel overwhelmed and let go of your dreams. You may even begin to think that failure is permanent and you won’t move forward. This kind of thinking can eventually lead to poor self-esteem and a loss of self-confidence. And let’s not forget the motivation that you need to fulfill your goals and dreams.

In the end, it all comes down to your perspective and mindset. Take Thomas Edison for example. He turned his failure into success because his approach was on achieving rather than focusing on the failures. His positive mindset and perspective helped him turn his thousands of failures into the success we all know today.

How did he reach this stage? By allowing himself to celebrate small wins and appreciating the small victories. He let himself see those small steps of success as achievements.

Why Celebrating Small Wins Is Important?

“If you want to change big things, pay attention to the small things.” – Rudolph Giuliani

As I said, we can’t fulfill our dreams in a night, no matter how hard we try. It may take days, weeks, months, and even years to reach your goals and it’s OK. During this period, what you need to do is focus on the small wins and little achievements rather than on the end goal or the finish line.

But why is celebrating small wins important? It’s important to celebrate small wins because not doing so can decrease your motivation and trust me, motivation is one of the things that keep us going toward our goals and give us the strength to take a step forward, every day.

When you feel (read: think) that your goal is far away yet, you may lose your motivation and confidence but when you think that your goal can be just around the corner, you won’t lose your motivation or prematurely give up on your dreams.

That’s why it’s important to let your small wins see the light of day because scientifically, when you acknowledge the small wins, you also allow your brain to release chemicals that can bring a feeling of pride and joy, making you more likely to move forward toward your next win or the next step of your end goal.

How To Celebrate Small Wins?

1. Break Down Your Goals

Sometimes the bigger picture hardly matters. When it comes to success, breaking down your goals into smaller pieces can help you celebrate the small wins and see the progress clearly. If you keep looking at the bigger picture, it can make you think that the goal is too far away and cause you to procrastinate. Breaking down your goals can avoid this.

2. Don’t Forget Rewards

Rewards are a part of this process and a crucial one at that. Whenever you complete one step, reward yourself with what you enjoy the most. For example, when you achieve a small win, take yourself out on a dinner date or go on a trip somewhere. Rewarding yourself can motivate you to reach your goals faster.

3. Don’t Put Too Much Pressure

Just like overexertion can deplete your body of your physical strength, putting too much pressure on yourself to achieve your goals can overwhelm you. To prevent this, you can be flexible with your goals and the time you’ve set on them.

4. Keep A Track

As you move forward, keep a track of your progress. This will help you remind yourself of how far you have come. Did you know that sometimes one may give up on their goals right before reaching them because they forget the small wins? As you achieve something small, write it down.

5. Keep A Positive Perspective

Avoid focusing on the end goals because when your goals are far, it can make you lose your motivation when faced with failures. Instead of climbing the mountain at once, try to take small breaks at each cliff. When you change your perspective and enjoy the small wins, it can make it easier to reach your goals.

Wrap Up

Celebrating small wins is the key to success and keeping your motivation alive. Each time you achieve something – small or big – celebrate it. From something as small as marking a tick on your calendar to treating yourself to a luxury holiday, celebrate small wins in your own way.

You have worked hard and your confidence deserves a boost! Reward yourself and make sure that you don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

I hope this article helped you understand the psychology of small wins and why you should celebrate small wins. For more, you can write to us at info@calmsage.com or DM us on social media. Do share your tips to celebrate small wins in the comments below!

Take Care!