Why it’s important to celebrate small wins

Our lives tend to move so fast that we barely have time to pause, let alone celebrate small wins.

What do I mean by small wins? Anything that you have accomplished that you feel good about and that is a small step forward.

My client Carol learned to celebrate small wins

My client Carol recently had a massive mindset shift that opened her world to a new sense of happiness and satisfaction. How? She learned to celebrate her small wins.

It has been new for her to notice what she has been accomplishing. Before this realization, she said it didn’t matter that she was taking steps toward her goals; all she saw was that she had not reached the big goal.

She became easily demoralized and lost her motivation.

She had a tough time taking the small steps because she thought they were not worth celebrating.   But then she had a magical, enlightening moment when she realized that each small step is worth celebrating and each one is an accomplishment in its own right.

She didn’t realize before that each small step matters.  

Working with me opened the door to celebrating herself, which meant she was able to set goals, reach goals, and feel better about herself on the journey.  She is enjoying where her mind is and feels her core belief now is that she has the strength to overcome any hurdle. She feels so happy now and can put her energy into the right things.

Why is it essential for our mental health to notice our wins?

When you don’t take even a moment to acknowledge what you’ve done, you teach yourself that achieving your goals isn’t that important or exciting. The same is true if you celebrate the big wins and ignore all the little ones.

Celebrating your small wins is vital because it helps:

• build confidence
• builds momentum and motivation towards your bigger goals
• attracts more success
• helps you have a positive view of the world and yourself
• keeps your enthusiasm for moving toward your bigger goals

Celebrating the small wins is a great way to build confidence and start feeling better about yourself

Abhishek Ratna

We move on before we get a chance to celebrate small wins

Have you noticed that when you have a win and achieve something, you just move on to the next thing without even acknowledging it? It’s worth taking a pause and absorbing your accomplishment.

Take some time to notice what it took to achieve it; determination, bravery, stepping out of your comfort zone? Whatever it was, however big or small, helped to achieve something you have not done before, and every time you do that, it helps you grow and achieve bigger things. You are moving forward with strength and determination to accomplish each step towards your bigger goal.

Here’s how to celebrate small wins

So how do you celebrate your wins?

• Make an ‘I’ve done it!’ list. You can still have your to-do list; it helps us stay organized but don’t focus on what you have not completed on your list. The reality is the list will always be incomplete, and if we let it, this falsely leads us to believe we are failing. If you do an ‘I’ve done it’ list, you will be able to see clearly what you have accomplished.
• Keep track of your wins. Make a note on your calendar or in a special notebook when you have achieved something that has made a difference in your life, and you will be able to look back over time and see how much you have achieved.   
• Journal on your achievement. If you have time and like journaling, take a moment to delve into what you have achieved. Which skills it took, how you pushed yourself, and what you started to believe about yourself.
• Share with a supportive friend who will celebrate with you. Shout it to the world, say it out loud, and share your wins with others, and you will start to feel the power of celebrating your wins.
• Acknowledge your achievements before rushing to the next thing. Take the time to pause and relish in the feeling of accomplishment instead of sweeping it away and immediately asking, “what’s next?”.
• Treat yourself! A soak in the tub, a massage, a night out with friends, time out to curl up with a good book; whatever helps you pause and spend some time rewarding yourself for your achievement.

Spread the love; show others how to celebrate

Help others celebrate their small wins too. Notice when a coworker has achieved something even if they don’t recognize it. Show your kids the importance of celebrating their small wins. Take your partner out for dinner to celebrate an achievement they are brushing aside as nothing.

Happiness is all about celebrating small wins

Abdul Jawad Khattak

A final word

Don’t downplay your win! A client I was working with recently said that she had returned to the gym the day before, but it was ‘only’ a light workout. It’s a workout! She made an effort to get there; she could have easily put it off for another day, but she did it! That in my book, is a win worth celebrating!