Why you should celebrate the small wins
Why it’s important to celebrate the small things
As entrepreneurs it is easy to get caught up in the grind and breeze past anything that isn’t a major milestone.
Waiting until we have a victory, we feel is “worth celebrating”, might mean month-long droughts in between! Take a moment every week or every month to identify wins, document them, and celebrate it.
Here are a few reasons why you should :
A Fresh Outlook
Pausing to celebrate gives your mind a break. Just like breaks during the day, a break to reflect and celebrate, is a mini-vacation. Coming back to work after celebrating a success (big or small) provides a fresh outlook on your next to-do.
Momentum
Regular celebrations cause a snowball effect! The more you celebrate, the more you’ll see reason for celebration! This is momentum for both your mind and business. Don’t underestimate the power of momentum. A small snowball can cause an avalanche with a little encouragement.
“Because inner work life has such a potent effect on creativity and productivity, and because small but consistent steps forward, shared by many people, can accumulate into excellent execution, progress events that often go unnoticed are critical to the overall performance of organizations.”
Reminders of Progress
Just like reading an old journal, celebrating and documenting those small wins will give you a reminder of the past. Where you started, what you’ve gone through, and where you are.
Reflection on progress and change give context. The celebrations today will be a reflection in the future. Remember it, cherish it, own it.
Attract customers
People want to hang out with winners. Celebrations of the small wins publicly or privately bring that “winner vibe” to you and your business.
Think back to when we had big parties, and remember a charismatic person. They attract others to them. They are typically full of energy, laughing, and loving life. You want to be around it. Bring that to your business.
“As you look to grow your business, celebratory events not only reinforce the positive aspects of what you are doing, but positions your business correctly as a desirable company with which others would like to associate.”
Good Work Days
It is shown that celebrating wins brings happiness and in this process, endorphins are released. As Elle Woods says, “Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't kill their husbands, they just don't.”
A minor event which is a win for you, have major impact on your mood. Stop to celebrate so you have more good days at work.
“Even ordinary, incremental progress can increase people’s engagement in the work and their happiness during the workday. ”
Examples of Celebrations
5 new email subscribers (or X% increase)
Overcoming a personal fear (like social videos) to push your business forward
Making a decision
Making it through a rough week with a positive outlook
A call with a prospective client
Not working on the weekend
Stepping back to work on your business
Finding a solution to a problem
Fixing a glitch in your email automations
Summary
Each week, every other week, or every month take 30 minutes to write 1-5 small wins. Post it to social media or tell a friend.
Why were these wins?
How did it each one make you feel?
How can you repeat this process to get more wins?
Statistics and quotes found on the following sites:
https://hbr.org/2011/05/the-power-of-small-wins
https://www.inc.com/bill-carmody/3-reasons-celebrating-your-many-accomplishments-is-critical-to-your-success.html
