How to Celebrate Small Wins
Retrain that Brain
My younger self would hear an echo in my head, a hamster wheel of thoughts, a record player on repeat. I would tell myself, “when I get into college, when I land that first job, when I get my first raise, when I get married, when I, when I, when I” But as I live out my mundane moments as a post grad, working my 9-5 job, I have quickly realized that if I wait to only celebrate the big moments, I will miss all the small wins along the way. The famous Ferris Bueller once said, Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it” And I am honestly not interested in "missing it”
Small wins are truly tiny victories that brighten our day. If we can find a way to recognize small wins and celebrate them, it only gets us closer to the big moment and the big win. Small wins help us build momentum towards bigger goals, they build confidence and help us keep a positive mindset. Winning isn’t everything but it can sure make a Tuesday night feel a little less blah. So what is a small win, well the best part, you define it and you celebrate it!
A small win can be: hitting that protein goal, folding laundry the same day you washed it, building that Linkedin profile, making it through a tough work week without spiraling, walking to work instead of taking the train. The list is personal, simple and worth recognizing. So rather than a hamster wheel of big wins that are rarely achieved, you can retrain your brain to celebrate small wins on repeat, like your favorite song that never gets old.
The Big Win Culture
It's not always easy to recognize small wins. We are programmed to celebrate the big things and in the US, our culture celebrates big. Take one look at the wedding aisle at Hobby Lobby or search “wedding ideas” on Pinterest and in less than a day, BOOM! your entire social media algorithm will be bombarded with weddings that are over the top, puffy white dresses, floral arches with budgets similar to buying a home. It can all be yours for one day, one big ass celebration. We are a culture of hustle, of comparison and of going big or going home. Our brains crave those big, shiny moments that we often miss what is right in front of our face. If we only celebrate the big moments, we are going to miss the thousands of tiny ones that actually make up life.
Let’s Put this into Practice
Practice makes perfect. We practiced a lot as kids. We practiced our sport, our instrument, our spelling words, the list goes on. As adults we lose sight of practice and how much it can really help in our everyday lives. If you want to start celebrating small wins, you are going to have to practice. So here we go, your practice plan for celebrating small wins.
Step 1: Write it down. Keep a list on your desk, in your notes app or on that scribbled on the crumpled receipt in your purse. Write down your small wins. Seeing the list is motivating and confidence-boosting.
Step 2: Tell someone. Sharing is caring when it comes to small wins. Spread the good news and speak it out. It will make those small wins feel even more valued when a friend or family member hypes you up
Step 3: Practice micro-celebrations. This is the fun part. Small wins can lead to small rewards or celebrations. Treat yourself to that Starbucks coffee on your walk instead of a train ride to work. Order a new cookbook when you hit those protein goals. Light a candle and enjoy the vibes after crushing a tough week at work.
Step 4: Slow down. I am not going to lie if you don’t slow down you will miss those small moments. Force yourself to reflect each day. I am not kidding, setting a timer (3-5 minutes) is all you need.
Step 5: Repeat it. If you really want to find a way to celebrate small wins, you gotta repeat steps 1-4 often. Practice is real and it works.
A Moment for the Small Win
Sometimes the hardest part is simply acknowledging that these tiny things do count. We often forget that it doesn’t matter what the win is, but more that we did it. You showed up for yourself in a small way. That deserves a little confetti moment. Celebrating small wins makes life way more fun and if we aren’t having fun, what are we even doing. Rather than speeding past the small moments, on a high speed train to nowhere, you can start to see them, pay attention and recognize that even tiny victories start to stack up in the bricks of life. And once you start seeing them, you can’t unsee them—they’re everywhere. Small wins sharpen your perspective. They remind you that you’re making progress even when your life feels like a chaotic group project with no clear leader.
Stepping Stones
Small wins are the stepping stones to big wins because let’s be real, no one wakes up one morning living in the Barbie dream house. Instead we all have to stumble through life, making thousands of unglamorous steps. But when you celebrate small wins, you get that sense of accomplishment we all strive for. When you take action, you make progress and when you make progress, you grow. It's a much better hamster wheel if you stop to enjoy the small moments, slow down and know how to celebrate small wins. 