In a world that glorifies overnight success and instant results, it’s easy to overlook the quiet victories we achieve every day.

But what if the key to long-term success lies in the little steps we often dismiss.

We have become so obsessed with big milestones that we forget the little achievements that led to those milestones.

As a society, we have to get comfortable with celebrating our small wins.

Things like finishing a task, arranging your bed/room, and waking up earlier than usual should be celebrated.

Obviously, these tasks seem insignificant at first, but, when we celebrate them, they build confidence and inspire resilience.

Finally, in this article we will explore what small wins are, how they help, and how you can benefit from celebrating them.

What are Small Wins and Why Do They Matter?

Do you know this old Chinese proverb, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step?”

At first, the proverb may seem obvious or shallow. But if you look beyond, you could interpret it in a way that changes your whole perspective.

A deep meaning to this would be, whatever path you choose in life, taking the first step in that direction brings you closer to your goal.

Now, what does this have to do with small wins and celebrating them?

Imagine you are overweight and you decide that you want to embark on a weight loss journey – so you get yourself registered in a gym.

Obviously, just being registered in a gym doesn’t guarantee that you get fit. But it is the first step towards achieving your goals.

It is also a small win – a win that should be celebrated.

In other words, it is the crucial first step in the thousand-mile journey you are beginning.

Illustrations: Everyday Examples of Small Wins

Let’s use another illustration to help you properly understand the concept of small wins. Imagine if your career goal is to become a physics professor.

The first step towards that of course is going to college. So you get admitted into college to study physics, and of course you celebrate.

While in college, you study diligently, pass your exams, earn top grades, get opportunities to work with professors, work on academic papers, and you keep progressing by doing all of these things and eventually graduate.

The mistake most people make is that they think that the graduation is the next win that they achieve after getting admitted.

Whereas, there are other wins in between that led to you graduating.

For instance, each time you get an A on a paper, that is a win that should be celebrated.

Every time you got up early to go to a class, each time you had to work with a professor on a project.

Every assignment you submitted, and each time you went from one level to the next.

These are all moments that should be celebrated.

The Science Behind Celebrating Small Wins

Celebrating small wins can be a powerful source of motivation in your life.

This is because our brains react strongly to achievements.

Studies have shown that waking up and doing anything as little as arranging your bed; that small sense of achievement can provide the motivation needed to power through the day.

Let’s talk about something called the progress principle.

The Progress Principle

According to a research study done by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, small achievements are a source of motivation.

In addition, their studies have shown that each time you take a step toward your goal, your emotions, motivation, and engagement improve.

Also, it is not just about taking these small steps, you have to recognize your progress too.

Recognizing these steps as wins validates your efforts.

Finally, let’s talk about the dopamine the brain releases when it gets a sense of achievement.

The Role of Dopamine

The brain’s reward system supports achievement.

As we mentioned previously, even the smallest tasks causes our brain to release dopamine.

So, what is Dopamine?

Dopamine is a feel good chemical released from the brain.

Each time the brain releases dopamine due to achievements, it reinforces positive feedback.

On that note, here is a quote from Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, “Even minor achievements can trigger a positive emotional response that boosts motivation, and enhances performance.

How To Celebrate Small Wins(With Examples)

Small wins happen all the time. In every journey we take through life, we experience small wins at some point.

The main problem is that we have a hard time recognizing and celebrating these small wins.

For instance, you decide to become a content creator. You start posting videos and there are little to no likes on the platforms that you post on.

You focus on the likes you aren’t getting instead of the discipline you have built to consistently create videos.

That’s wrong.

When your following moves from 50 to 100, celebrate it. 100 to 200, celebrate. Each step you take towards your goal, celebrate it.

Also, keep in mind that there is no one way to celebrate an achievement.

However, here are a few things you can do to make sure you get that dopamine:

You can write about your achievement in a journal. Or, you can mark off tasks that you complete in your to-do lists.

Treat yourself with a reward. Doesn’t have to be anything big. You can just give yourself a little break; watch a movie or rest a while before going into the next task.

Share your win with friends, family, colleagues, or on social media posts.

Celebrate progress, not perfection.

What’s Holding you Back? (And How to Overcome It)

Here are some of the things holding you back from celebrating your wins, and here is how you can overcome those barriers.

Overcoming Perfectionism

A lot of people try to be perfectionists and this makes them lose sight of their growth.

They are no longer able to appreciate the small wins in their lives – causing them to doubt their every move and dismiss any progress they make.

The best way to avoid this kind of mindset is to focus on progress rather than perfection.

Do not fixate on flaws, instead, see that there is room for improvement and work on it.

Do not ignore the small successes, appreciate each step, no matter how small.

Managing Time Constraints

Having a packed schedule is also a barrier for celebrating small wins.

Most people just move from one task to the other and at the end of the day, they just go to bed exhausted.

If you live like this, it becomes difficult to recognize your progress – and this can eventually lead to progress.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that success isn’t one giant leap. It takes a series of giant steps to become successful.

Furthermore, it is important t

hat you celebrate every single one of those steps. That’s how you build confidence and momentum.

In a world that glorifies overnight success and instant results, it’s easy to overlook the quiet victories we achieve every day.

But what if the key to long-term success lies in the little steps we often dismiss.

We have become so obsessed with big milestones that we forget the little achievements that led to those milestones.

As a society, we have to get comfortable with celebrating our small wins.

Things like finishing a task, arranging your bed/room, and waking up earlier than usual should be celebrated.

Obviously, these tasks seem insignificant at first, but, when we celebrate them, they build confidence and inspire resilience.

Finally, in this article we will explore what small wins are, how they help, and how you can benefit from celebrating them.

What are Small Wins and Why Do They Matter?

Do you know this old Chinese proverb, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step?”

At first, the proverb may seem obvious or shallow. But if you look beyond, you could interpret it in a way that changes your whole perspective.

A deep meaning to this would be, whatever path you choose in life, taking the first step in that direction brings you closer to your goal.

Now, what does this have to do with small wins and celebrating them?

Imagine you are overweight and you decide that you want to embark on a weight loss journey – so you get yourself registered in a gym.

Obviously, just being registered in a gym doesn’t guarantee that you get fit. But it is the first step towards achieving your goals.

It is also a small win – a win that should be celebrated.

In other words, it is the crucial first step in the thousand-mile journey you are beginning.

Illustrations: Everyday Examples of Small Wins

Let’s use another illustration to help you properly understand the concept of small wins. Imagine if your career goal is to become a physics professor.

The first step towards that of course is going to college. So you get admitted into college to study physics, and of course you celebrate.

While in college, you study diligently, pass your exams, earn top grades, get opportunities to work with professors, work on academic papers, and you keep progressing by doing all of these things and eventually graduate.

The mistake most people make is that they think that the graduation is the next win that they achieve after getting admitted.

Whereas, there are other wins in between that led to you graduating.

For instance, each time you get an A on a paper, that is a win that should be celebrated.

Every time you got up early to go to a class, each time you had to work with a professor on a project.

Every assignment you submitted, and each time you went from one level to the next.

These are all moments that should be celebrated.

The Science Behind Celebrating Small Wins

Celebrating small wins can be a powerful source of motivation in your life.

This is because our brains react strongly to achievements.

Studies have shown that waking up and doing anything as little as arranging your bed; that small sense of achievement can provide the motivation needed to power through the day.

Let’s talk about something called the progress principle.

The Progress Principle

According to a research study done by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, small achievements are a source of motivation.

In addition, their studies have shown that each time you take a step toward your goal, your emotions, motivation, and engagement improve.

Also, it is not just about taking these small steps, you have to recognize your progress too.

Recognizing these steps as wins validates your efforts.

Finally, let’s talk about the dopamine the brain releases when it gets a sense of achievement.

The Role of Dopamine

The brain’s reward system supports achievement.

As we mentioned previously, even the smallest tasks causes our brain to release dopamine.

So, what is Dopamine?

Dopamine is a feel good chemical released from the brain.

Each time the brain releases dopamine due to achievements, it reinforces positive feedback.

On that note, here is a quote from Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, “Even minor achievements can trigger a positive emotional response that boosts motivation, and enhances performance.

How To Celebrate Small Wins(With Examples)

Small wins happen all the time. In every journey we take through life, we experience small wins at some point.

The main problem is that we have a hard time recognizing and celebrating these small wins.

For instance, you decide to become a content creator. You start posting videos and there are little to no likes on the platforms that you post on.

You focus on the likes you aren’t getting instead of the discipline you have built to consistently create videos.

That’s wrong.

When your following moves from 50 to 100, celebrate it. 100 to 200, celebrate. Each step you take towards your goal, celebrate it.

Also, keep in mind that there is no one way to celebrate an achievement.

However, here are a few things you can do to make sure you get that dopamine:

You can write about your achievement in a journal. Or, you can mark off tasks that you complete in your to-do lists.

Treat yourself with a reward. Doesn’t have to be anything big. You can just give yourself a little break; watch a movie or rest a while before going into the next task.

Share your win with friends, family, colleagues, or on social media posts.

Celebrate progress, not perfection.

What’s Holding you Back? (And How to Overcome It)

Here are some of the things holding you back from celebrating your wins, and here is how you can overcome those barriers.

Overcoming Perfectionism

A lot of people try to be perfectionists and this makes them lose sight of their growth.

They are no longer able to appreciate the small wins in their lives – causing them to doubt their every move and dismiss any progress they make.

The best way to avoid this kind of mindset is to focus on progress rather than perfection.

Do not fixate on flaws, instead, see that there is room for improvement and work on it.

Do not ignore the small successes, appreciate each step, no matter how small.

Managing Time Constraints

Having a packed schedule is also a barrier for celebrating small wins.

Most people just move from one task to the other and at the end of the day, they just go to bed exhausted.

If you live like this, it becomes difficult to recognize your progress – and this can eventually lead to progress.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that success isn’t one giant leap. It takes a series of giant steps to become successful.

Furthermore, it is important t

hat you celebrate every single one of those steps. That’s how you build confidence and momentum.