Over the years I’ve developed the habit of celebrating my “small” wins. It’s usually something quick and silly like a happy dance in the elevator after a successful meeting (don’t worry, I wait until I’m alone). Other times, it’s a yelp and a happy dance when after working on a complicated proposal night and day, I get it in with only two minutes to spare. Forget that I don’t know if they’ll accept it; I got it in on time.
And sometimes the big win may elude us for years…
I have no doubt that you work hard to make things happen. Do you wait for the big finish to celebrate? And even then, it might get too busy to take that time to do so. It’s then postponed for another day, maybe.
I have noticed that several of my clients fall into this pattern of bypassing small wins. Maybe it’s a challenge to acknowledge the small wins because we perceive them as not being ‘big’ enough: ‘small’ is equated to ‘unimportant’.
Perhaps we find it immodest to say ‘Hurray’ for any reason. For many, especially for women, we’ve been taught not to call attention to ourselves in public, so why would we do it in any other situation?
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
– Vincent Van Gogh
Why save the party for the end? – Start with three ‘small’ wins a day.
To get into the habit of honouring my ‘small’ wins I’ve chosen to think of them as milestones – big, small, medium, or worthy of a woman of the year award, all achievements are necessary to reach an objective that is near and dear to you.
Besides, the big win can’t possibly happen without them.
I’ve been working with this simple exercise:
Write down 3 things a day that you’ve accomplished toward your vision, either personal or professional. And if 3 is too much at first, start with one then build up.
Let’s face it, acknowledgement of your progress may not necessarily come from an outside source. Celebrating your ‘smaller’ victories, and the detours along the way, reminds you that your contribution, your creativity, and your commitment are not only necessary, but valuable. That’s certainly worth celebrating.
Remember, no win is too small. Let me know in the comment section how the above exercise went for you.