As we live in a world focused on large milestones and ambitious goals, it’s easy to lose sight of the hidden power of small wins. We celebrate the big milestones—graduations, promotions, significant innovation—while overlooking the quiet, everyday wins that lead to them. Yet, evidence suggests that small wins have some of the greatest power to change our lives, especially in relation to confidence and long-term success.
What Are Small Wins?
Small wins are the small acts that seem pretty unimportant by themselves—completing a workout, making an uncomfortable call, clearing off your desk, or just finally hitting “send” on an email you were dreading. They are actual outcomes of taking a step in the right direction toward a goal.
They might feel trivial, but small wins create a compounding effect. They create tangible proof that we are making progress, which reinforces our belief that we can accomplish more. Over time, small wins build momentum, reinforce motivation, and improve self-efficacy (our belief in our ability to do it).