Celebrate the small wins along the way

No big accomplishment has ever been made without achieving at least a couple of small wins.

Think about it—a big thing like buying a home could not happen without being approved for a mortgage. Running a road race would not happen without taking that first jog. Losing 10 pounds would not happen without choosing healthy options over junk.

To riff on a great phrase, meeting big goals is wonderful, but it’s the journey, or cumulative small wins, that propel you there. These should be celebrated, as they empower you and boost your confidence and self-esteem.

Success feels good

Small wins could be as simple as checking off an item on your to-do list. It’s that easy. And as a bonus, when you create a sense of accomplishment, you get a release of dopamine, a brain chemical, that makes you feel good. Once you have this good feeling, your body wants to feel it again, so you’re encouraged to finish more tasks or take additional steps toward your big goals. This leads to success bringing more success.

Set yourself up for the best outcomes

Planning out how you want to accomplish your goals will help you stay on the path to success.

Create a clear vision of what you want to accomplish: Keep it simple and concise—something as clear as “I want to get healthy by losing 20 pounds in the next six months.”

Break it down into milestones to hit: Think about specifics, like “I will eat five servings of vegetables daily,” “I will stop buying unhealthy snacks from the vending machine” and so on. When you hit one of these mini-goals, claim a reward. Take a walk. Call a friend. Choose something you enjoy that is different from your everyday activities.

Chart your progress: Remember the task-and-reward charts from school or the ones you use with your own children? Receiving a star was huge! While simply earning stars once worked, the adult version should be a bit more complex. Consider keeping a “work” diary where you:

• Record small wins
• Chart out challenges and obstacles
• Brainstorm ways to solve problems
• Re-read it to learn from wins and losses and keep perspective

This work diary will document your journey toward reaching big goals.

Find support: Rather than announcing your big goal to anyone who will listen, find one or two people you trust. Know that these people are the ones to turn to for support.

Stick with it: Everyone experiences setbacks—it’s a natural part of working toward any kind of goal. What matters is how you recover from a derailment. There is no shame in starting over or taking a step back. 

A celebration is a celebration. Big or small, you deserve to enjoy your accomplishments.