A Better You One Small Win🏅 at a Time 🤩
Have you ever had:
"One of those days"
You wake up to gloomy weather, glance at the clock, and realize you're running late for work.
In your hurry to get ready,
You can't seem to find anything you need.
Finally, you make it to your car, hit the road, and...
Your neighbour's granny has chosen today to walk her poodle.
So, you patiently wait for her to cross the street, watching your precious time tick away with each clack of granny's walker.
After what feels like an eternity, you arrive at work, get to your desk, and reach for your much-needed morning coffee, the one thing you were looking forward to amidst the morning's chaos.
Only to realize you left it on the counter at home.
What a day!
It's been a crazy, messed-up morning.
But then, as you sit there with your face buried in your hand, you notice a co-worker approaching.
They walk over to your desk and hands you a steaming hot cup of coffee prepared just as you like it.
Suddenly, all the morning's chaos seems to melt away in that moment.
@theinsurancegoat ☕️ It’s the little things that make your day. 😂😂 • • • #everybodydancenow #theoffice #michaelscott #officelife #coffee #thegoat #theinsurancegoat #fyp
♬ original sound - theinsurancegoat
That small gesture, that cup of coffee, has turned your day around.
It's a minimal improvement to your day, you still have a mountain of paperwork to tackle, but that coffee has improved your day.
Small wins can make all the difference between a successful day and a dreadful one.
What are these Small Wins?
I believe it's essential to recognize and collect all the small wins you encounter throughout the day.
These small victories accumulate and can eventually lead to significant successes on the same day or further down the line.
It doesn't have to be monumental;
They just need to be something that gives you a little dose of dopamine after you've accomplished it.
Maybe today, you opted for the stairs instead of the elevator.
It required a bit more effort, but you felt great afterward.
Or perhaps you decided to look up a recipe online and give it a try.
Initially skeptical, but once it was baked and you took that first bite, you were pleasantly surprised at your baking abilities.
Or it could be as simple as the perfect song pops up on your phone when you hit shuffle.
I like to call these "little wins" and I believe they hold meaning.
These are the victories we need every day, the ones we can carry to empower us to achieve more.
How I look at "Small Wins"
In my personal life, I've used this framework to create a daily habit of viewing each day through a different lens.
I look for all the small, beautiful things that happen.
This practice helps me maintain a positive outlook, stay motivated, and take pride in the work I do each day.
Ultimately, it can lead to the creation of a more fulfilling way of life.
Defining a little win is quite self-explanatory from its name.
Essentially, it involves conquering an obstacle or making the right choice when faced with decisions throughout your day.
Small Wins Framework
As mentioned earlier, small wins are those little moments that can significantly brighten your day.
But the ones I particularly value are those where I had the option to make the right or wrong decision and choose correctly.
For instance, let's say you're at a restaurant and can choose between getting a salad or opting for fries as a side to your burger.
You're craving those fries
(who wouldn't?)
but decide to go with the salad instead.
This doesn't necessarily mean you made the easy choice, but it was the right one for you, which is why it can be considered a small "win".
I like to envision these decisions through a third-eye lens.
When faced with a decision between two paths, I envision myself in a parallel universe, my personal version of the multiverse, where I am the main character.
Heres how I this would play this out:
In one universe, I wake up to freshly fallen snow on the ground.
I had plans to hit the gym in the morning, but now I need to shovel the entire driveway before I can leave.
At this moment, I'm instantly faced with two options:
Two paths, two universes I can choose to travel through.
A: Go outside and shovel the snow
OR
B: Bail on going to the gym and stay inside.
Here is my hero's journey in both universes:
Parallel Universe A:
I'm disciplined.
I set goals and stick to them.
I overcome obstacles that come my way.
Parallel Universe B:
I'm a version of myself that succumbs to impulses.
When I feel I should do something, I stray from what's required and act solely in my self-interest.
I'm not committed to a better life, just a comfortable one.
Which path do I travel down?
Do I choose the path leads to glory?
OR
Do I choose the path that leads to failure?
The choice is mine.
I have the power to choose the path I want to follow.
To become the person I aspire to be, and to cultivate and enhance my skills.
I decided to stick to my goals and head outside to shovel the snow.
That's a small win🏅
Nice👍
So, I step outside to clear the snow, which takes nearly half an hour.
It's a pretty hefty task, and my back is already aching.
"That was a lot of work"
Essentially, I've just had a workout, and I could quickly go inside and consider that my exercise for the day.
But, as always, I'm faced with two parallel universes:
One where I tackle any obstacle.
Stay committed to my goals,
And use every challenge as motivation for a better life.
OR
There's the other version of me.
Settling for less than optimal results.
Doing the hard work but only what's required
And seeking the path of least resistance, driven by my feelings rather than my goals.
Two vastly different versions of myself.
Again I must choose.
"Well, I've already shovelled the snow, so I might as well hit the gym."
Another small win to add to my day🏅🏅
With these two small wins stacked up, I feel bolder, more empowered, and more confident in myself.
Finally, at the gym, I spot the chest press machine and think,
"Today, I'm going to attempt a new personal record for myself."
(It can't be heavier than all that snow I just lifted off my driveway)
So, armed with those two small wins, I head over to the bench press and conquer a personal record, achieving a new best.
In the span of my morning, I've collected these small wins and let them compound on top of each other.
Never Forget: The work you do keeps accumulating, even if you do not see it.
These wins may not seem significant at the time, but by the end of your day, you can look back at the driven, responsible, and motivated person you were thought out the day and use that as motivation to shape your self-image.
You are Your "Wins"
Small wins are crucial because they help shape your identity.
The more small wins you stack up, the clearer the version of yourself becomes and the more success you'll be able to achieve in your day.
Understanding why each small win is significant to you and how you can leverage that win for other tasks in your day is also essential.
This is why I advocate going to the gym and believe it should be a habit for everyone:
The gym offers a fantastic environment to stay active, build muscle, and shed pounds.
However, what I find most significant is that every time you step into that space, you have the power to collect many small wins.
You have to physically push harder than last time, run faster, or try new exercises.
The gym can be likened to a playground filled with opportunities for wins, and they are all there for the taking.
That's why I've started going to the gym in the morning:
I've found that it significantly impacts my ability to tackle more challenging work later in the day.
Waking up early and heading to the gym is an accomplishment in itself.
Then, when you finally lift heavy weights, it's almost impossible not to feel like you've achieved something in your day.
Having a good start to your day can make a world of difference.
That's why it's essential to accumulate these small wins and let them stack up throughout the day to shape your behaviour based on the wins you have collected.
How can you Start Collecting Your Wins?
Everyone will have a different idea of what a "win" means for them, whether it's going to the gym, eating healthily, or getting more work done.
Knowing what you would consider a small win is crucial, and using it as motivation throughout your day is vital.
A practice you can adopt is opening your calendar app or even just a notes folder on your phone daily.
Write down the date, and all you have to do is add a little emoji or checkmark on the day when you feel like you've collected a "win."
At the end of the day, you can revisit your journal, review your progress, and remind yourself why you shouldn't quit when you can achieve so much more.
Think of it as a game and challenge yourself to add more small wins each day.
If you started with just 5 small wins a day and by the end of the month, you're collecting, on average, 10-15 wins, that, in itself, is a significant win.
Keep winning, and never let the fear of not progressing get in your way.
For glory!