When you’re working on your business, it’s natural to have big goals and dreams. That’s likely part of what got you started working on it in the first place.
But if you wait until you achieve that big goal to celebrate, you could be waiting a long time. If it takes too long, you might get discouraged and give up, which is why it’s important to find some smaller things to celebrate in the meantime.
By acknowledging these small wins, you’ll keep yourself energized and motivated, and you’ll do the same for those around you.
With that in mind, here are three ways to celebrate those little steps along the way towards your larger goal.
Write It Down
When you write down your accomplishments, even the small ones, a couple of things happen.
First, the act of writing it down helps you recognize and acknowledge something that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. It makes the achievement more real in a way, more tangible.
If you write through what you’re working on, you’ll also be able to identify any problem areas. Maybe you got one thing done that you wanted but you’ve hit a roadblock in another area. Putting that down on paper (or virtual paper) can clarify your thoughts and give you some ideas about how to move forward.
Finally, writing things down also helps you remember them. This way, if you’re feeling discouraged later, you’ll be able to recall those earlier victories more easily, and you can also go back to read what you wrote about it, which might inspire you to further action.
Share It with a Small Group
Most of us want to tell other people about what we’ve done, but the reality is, not everyone is interested. If you try to tell everyone or post your achievement everywhere on social media, you’re not as likely to get the kind of positive feedback and support you really want.
Instead, it’s better to pick a few people as a support group and tell them about it. These should be people who are excited to hear about what you’re doing and how much progress you’ve made, no matter how incremental it is.
By keeping your small wins to a select few, you’ll get better and more meaningful support.
Reward Yourself
It’s easy to feel like you don’t need to treat yourself when you have a small win, but it’s worth doing. It helps keep you excited about your progress and it also gives you a bit a break, so you’ll be refreshed when you return to your work.
These kinds of rewards can be anything, but here are a few ideas:
- Get yourself a small gift, maybe something you’ve been putting off for a while because you don’t truly need it, but you know you’d enjoy it
- Take a day off, or even half a day, and don’t work at all
- Do something you love, whether it’s hiking or reading a book or going out for ice cream or anything else
You can decide if you want to involve others in the reward – perhaps going out for a nice meal – or if it’s something just for you. The key is finding a way to treat yourself.
Small Wins Lead to Big Success
Each small win along the way is something that gets you one step closer to your larger goal. This is why it’s important to celebrate those achievements, no matter how small they are.
By taking the time to appreciate the little goals along the way, you’ll keep up the momentum and will be more likely to achieve your big end goal.
Have any small wins you’re celebrating? Tell me about it in the comments.