The Big and the Small Wins
Ahhh, the feeling of making it to the finish line… accomplishing one of the big goals that you’ve been striving toward for years. Success at it’s finest. Time to celebrate big? Sure, give yourself permission to celebrate the big ones however you’d like. You deserve it. Break out the band or treat yourself to whatever is highest on your joy list. Big wins deserve time and attention.
What about the small wins?
If you want to assure you have the big goals to celebrate along the way, it’s imperative to celebrate the little ones along the way, too.
Motivation is key to accomplishing any goal, and one good way to keep motivation high is to acknowledge yourself for making progress in all of the little things you set out to do.
Big goals aren’t going to happen overnight as we’ve so painfully come to find out. No worries, they will come in due time with a little patience, perseverance and celebrating the small wins along the way.
Acknowledging the small wins sparks the reward circuitry of our brains and release chemicals that give us the feeling of pride and accomplishment, which keep us moving toward our next achievement. Sounds like a good way to live, right? In fact, if we can make “celebrating the small wins” a habit, we improve our odds of having more of what we really desire in our lives.
Our brains need reinforcement. Acknowledging our little wins will help develop an ‘addiction to progress’ that will cause your brain to move forward.
Let’s say you want to become an expert on a certain topic and you know by reading 20 pages a day for 3 years, you will achieve your goal. By rewarding yourself with a piece of your favorite candy every day you read, you will love the feeling of progress as you move toward your desired expert status. Regardless of the goal, it will make it easier and more enjoyable if you celebrate your incremental steps along the way.
3 Steps to Achieve Any Goal
- Break down large goals into smaller goals – Create small, achievable goals that will allow you to see your progress more clearly.
- Reward yourself when achieving small goals – Treat yourself to something you enjoy each time you complete a step. This could be anything from a favorite coffee, chocolate, or a little ‘me’ time. Having something to look forward to trains the brain into creating motivation.
- Change the world Deadline to Finish line – Putting a deadline on your goals can lead to potential feelings of failure. By focusing on the finish line, your happiness and motivation will be increased as you move forward. Track your progress as you cheer yourself on to the finish line ready for the big celebration.
Success is meant to be celebrated! Why not do it every step of the way?!
