5 Ways to Celebrate Small Wins and Get to Big Progress

🎤 Cel-e-brate good times, C’mon!

Can you believe we are midway through the calendar year?

How is it going for you?! 

Wait, wait, wait! Before you frown and start running through all the things you did NOT accomplish at this point of the year, or in your life (sheesh), let’s focus on what you HAVE accomplished!

Why do we do that anyway?

You know. Focus on what’s not done instead of what is? 😅  

According to Vasundhara Sawhney, senior editor at Harvard Business Review, we can look to the Zeigarnik effect. She summarized that “failing to complete a task creates underlying cognitive tension, which is what makes you keep coming back to it.” Per the psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik, “Once we complete the task, the information is easily forgotten”.

So, there you have it.  We’re not intentionally disregarding our progress, we're just easily forgetting them since that part is accomplished. 

Now, do you know what else psychology says? “Any accomplishment, no matter how small, releases the neurotransmitter dopamine which boosts your mood, motivation and attention. It also signals you to keep doing the activity again and again.” This is according to University of Minnesota Extension Educators Lori Rothstein and Denese Stromme. Acknowledging your progress, your small wins, is good for you!  

For me, every time I press send on an email or hit publish on a post I take a deep breathe and smile.  Not only because I believe my words or offerings will have impact but also because I know I am putting another weight on the scale of who I want to be.  It’s another vote of confidence for who I envision myself as. 

We all know at this point that the process to get to your goal is going to have its ups and downs, it’s going to to have stalls and stops, it’s definitely going to feel like the plan is not going to plan, but keep going.  At the same time, it is okay and often necessary to zoom in, to see the trees for the forest, to see your progress, pinpoint it, and celebrate that.

Here are 5 Ways to Celebrate Small Wins and Get to Big Progress!

🥳 1. Make an “I DID THAT” list.

• If you’ve worked with me before, you know I love a good Data Dump to help clear my mind.  This time instead of writing things you have to do, you're writing down all the things you've accomplished up to now.  It can be for the first half of the year, the month, or whatever timeline you decide.  Take time to write it out and read it back to yourself. This is great to come back to when you’re feeling discouraged.  This is also great to review at the end of the year to remind yourself of the seemingly small efforts that got you to where you are. The little things that didn't seem to hold much weight will make a difference to where you end up and can show you what progress has looked like for you.

🥳 2. Take a celebratory pause

• You know that moment when you’ve been deep into a project and you come up for air. The room around you comes back into focus, maybe you lean back in your chair, and stretch real big like, right before you switch over to social media or take a walk away from your desk.  That moment.  Make it celebratory. Be intentional about that moment and before you grab your phone or leave your desk, close your eyes, take a deep breath and acknowledge whatever progress you’ve made. 

✅ You sent those emails = celebratory pause

✅ You booked a guest = celebratory pause

✅ You finished the proposal = celebratory pause

✅ You signed a new client = celebratory pause

✅ You trued up your numbers = celebratory pause

🥳 3. Make some noise

• Whoop, holler, sing, or a simple "Good for you! You did it!" said out loud works. Have a favorite song? Play that song at different milestones to celebrate the occasion.  I received a You Are A Badass button and would let it tell me I’m doing great.  In one program I took they sent us bells to ring to celebrate our sales. I rang the crap out of that bell on my first sale (and cried a little too). I also have a Harry Potter music box that I play sometimes for my celebratory pause after a good day. It feels good to acknowledge what may be fleeting moments. Go make some noise!         

🥳 4. Take a personal day

• Did you know that 54% of US workers do not use 100% of their Paid Time Off*. We can all guess the reasons why but Y'all! Take. The. Break. Even for full time solopreneurs that have tons of flexibility but no formalized policy. This especially applies to you. We are not machines.  Give yourself some breathing room and acknowledge that you’ve earned the break. Even if the deadline was missed. Even if you put in 5 less hours than you wanted. Even if you wanted to be farther along.  You don’t have to wait until you’ve won a Pulitzer prize before you let yourself rest.  Recognize that progress is progress. Take your time, take a personal day, celebrate you.

*Pew Research Center, March 2023 Survey

🥳 5. Block some “Go Me!” time on your calendar

• Think you’ll forget to do any of this celebrating.  Let your calendar help you.  You know how I feel about calendars! Add a gentle reminder to your calendar to go over your wins, big and small.  To help you, you could write down one thing you accomplished or are proud of every morning or every other day.  At the end of the week during your Go Me time, read the list back to yourself.    

So there you have it, 5 ways to celebrate your small wins that will get you to big progress. We only need to get 1% better to see exponential change.  In truth, it may feel like another task on your list, you may even think you don’t have the time but make the time.  You matter and it’s important to take care of your mind and your heart.  Allow these small wins to help you release the tension you hold on to as a result of perfectionism and this notion of not being or doing enough.  These celebratory moments are really a part of gratitude, for yourself.  You got this. You really do.

To your success!

Resources:

Read this article: Why your brain dwells on unfinished tasks

Listen to this clip: Celebrate small stuff

How do you celebrate your small wins? Will you try any of these?  Any other ways you want to add, please share in the comments!