The big win. The big victory. Those are the moments that get most of our attention. Getting the dream job. The announcement of a big promotion. Losing a bunch of weight. Someone being debt free. That’s what gets our attention.
But what’s the journey to get there? That’s where you need to focus. The real progress, the real gains are in the small wins along the way. So how do these small wins lead to the big victory?
It begins with just recognizing these wins. It starts by actively balancing your long term goal with the approach and plan you are going to use to get there. When working toward a goal it can be tempting to set a plan from start to finish. However, that’s not realistic and will actually limit your chances for success.
Life has its ups and downs. Things change. Circumstances shift, and when they do your long term detailed plan and schedule goes out the window. Unfortunately, this also tends to mean our goals and aspirations go out the window too.
Putting less focus on a detailed schedule from start to finish and more focus on the small steps you will incorporate to get you where you want to go will greatly increase your chances for success.
Let’s look at three of the main reasons why small wins lead to big victories.
Small Wins Lead to Big Victories: It’s Not All or Nothing
When working toward a goal, it’s very rarely all or nothing. You may have a weight loss goal, but that doesn’t change the fact that each pound you lose along the way is progress. You are healthier half way toward your goal than you were when you started. You may be paying down debt. That doesn’t mean you only reap the benefits when you get to zero.
Taking time to recognize the progress you make along the way as true wins is a powerful motivator. It helps lighten the load and gives you a perspective of success. Plus, how real is that actual “goal” as a finish line? What was once the goal then quickly becomes a stepping stone in the past. Life is filled with countless starts and ends. So recognize it’s not all or nothing. Today’s victory is just as meaningful as tomorrow’s.
Life is a Long Journey
The way we start is very rarely the same as how we finish. Focusing on small steps and the small wins they produce gives us the opportunity to make multiple changes along our journey.
If you’re only focused on a single big outcome, you’re not giving yourself the ability to change and adjust your plan or approach.
When Life throws you a curveball, you fall off your long term plan. You fail? A focus on more frequent short term wins allows you to succeed at step one then adjust to life’s curveball on step two. All the while, you are still succeeding. You don’t fail. You’re still moving forward.
Winning Feels Good
Often the biggest factor that leads to large victories is persistence and motivation along the journey. Winning fuels motivation. So recognizing your small steps, your small moments of progress as true wins keeps you motivated.
We’ve all read about a sports team on a “hot streak.” Once they get on a roll, they seem unstoppable. The same is true for you and small wins along the way. Get yourself on a hot streak. Winning feels good, and small wins truly lead to big victories.
Now take that big goal you want to achieve, break it down to small steps.
Focus – Small Wins Lead to Big Victories.
Get started today and log your first win and get yourself one step closer to where you want to go!
