The Power of Celebrating Small Wins

Dr. Temple Grandin is a well known American scientist, author, and advocate for autism. But her life was anything but easy from the start.

Diagnosed with autism at a young age, Grandin was told she’d never be able to speak properly or live a normal life. But with a community of committed supporters in her corner, she developed strong communication skills and eventually earned a Ph.D. in animal science. Today she’s a leading expert in animal behaviour and has made significant contributions to the livestock industry, publishing over 60 scientific papers on a variety of related topics.

Grandin's successful resume was built on numerous setbacks and challenges, including discrimination and skepticism from her peers. But her persistence was fuelled by focusing on her strengths and, most importantly, celebrating her small wins along the way. In her book The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum, she writes:

"I developed a strategy for dealing with the setbacks and disappointments that inevitably come with any endeavor. I focused on my strengths and my successes, no matter how small they might seem. I celebrated each accomplishment, no matter how insignificant it might appear to others."

In last week’s newsletter I talked about the Myth of Falling Behind in Our Careers. I explained how detours and delays in our professional journey are opportunities to learn new skills and build the mental stamina we need for the next level - whenever that time may come. Part of that journey is taking time to celebrate small wins. Slowing down long enough to acknowledge we successfully completed what we set out to do. Not just mentally, but rewarding ourselves tangibly or marking down the milestone somewhere we’ll see it frequently.?Taking the time to stop and celebrate small wins in our careers and lives has numerous benefits, including increased motivation, job satisfaction, and overall happiness.

This isn’t a new, earth-shattering concept. Look up any motivational speaker or Ted Talk on Youtube and you’ll eventually find a clip discussing a similar theme. But the fast paced work culture we live in counters the ideology by implying we should ‘Go big or go home’. Because It’s not worth wasting time celebrating when the job isn't finished. It's more important to focus on the ‘size of the prize’ and waiting until we get that big win to celebrate. The concept of celebrating small wins sounds good and feels good, but we don’t actually put it into practice. We either don’t know how it can benefit us or we don't believe it can benefit us at all.

Research and science says otherwise.

A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology by researchers Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer surveyed 238 professionals. The participants who kept a daily journal of their progress towards their goals and celebrated their small wins were more motivated and reported higher levels of well-being compared to those who didn’t take time to celebrate their progress.?

A similar study published in the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology found that celebrating small wins can help individuals build resilience and cope with setbacks, as it helps them focus on their progress rather than their failures. The results of both studies suggest that people who focus on progress over perfection are more likely to experience positive emotions and achieve their goals.?

Building resilience and experiencing positive emotions are directly connected to the cognitive science behind celebrating small wins. Positive Psychology researcher Shawn Achor states, “The brain is wired to respond to positive experiences, and celebrating small wins can help us cultivate positive emotions, which in turn can boost our creativity, productivity, and overall well-being”.?

Celebrating small wins triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, which reinforces the behavior that led to the win and motivates us to repeat it on our way to another win!?

If we look at it from an organizational perspective, managers and leaders have an important role to play in keeping their teams motivated, especially during challenging times. Researcher Ashley V. Whillans surveyed 411 professionals for a study at Harvard Business School. She found that employees who received recognition and positive feedback for their work were more productive, engaged, and loyal to their employers. A simple email or ‘high-five’ for a job well done on a miniscule task can have a major psychological impact on an employee (I’ve witnessed this myself managing teams). By understanding the influence they have in this area, managers and leaders can build a culture that sees any task, regardless of size, as a valuable contribution to the company.?

We now know the scientific benefits of celebrating small wins, but what about doing it practically? As mentioned earlier, we can start by mentally acknowledging and appreciating ourselves and the progress we’ve made. But the true power comes when we do something tangible. Here are some examples:

Share your wins with others: Celebrate your small wins with your colleagues, family, or friends. Share your success stories and let them know how their support has helped you along the way. On the flip side, we need to give each other a safe space to ‘humble brag’ about our wins instead of discouraging this type of communication.

Treat yourself: Reward yourself with a small treat or indulgence, like buying yourself an expensive cup coffee (Starbucks!) or treating yourself to a nice meal. Go window shopping in person or online and actually buy yourself something. The idea is to gift yourself for the work you put in.

Create a visual reminder: Create a visual representation of your progress, such as a chart or graph, and celebrate when you hit each milestone. You can also journal your progress which can be a therapeutic way of acknowledging small wins.

Take a break: Book a day or half day off from work and do something you enjoy. Maybe a spa day, or a quick hiking trip outside of the city, or binge watching your favorite TV series. Taking a break can help you relax and recharge, but more importantly it can motivate you to complete other lingering tasks because of the potential rewards you can give yourself!

Again this isn’t just a feel good Monday message. The information means nothing if we don’t begin to put it into action. Celebrating small wins starts with initiating small actions. Ask yourself: “What have I done that’s worth celebrating right now?” I’ll help you get started. Celebrate the fact that you’ve made it through 100% of the toughest Monday mornings you have ever faced. Open a new email message and type that out (or any other win you think of), and add how you’ll reward yourself for it. Enter your email address and send it to yourself. This will be the first of many celebratory moments you’ll give yourself.?

As you go through this process, take note how you feel and emotionally respond to others throughout your workday. You might realize that Monday may just be the perfect day to start a new habit of celebrating small wins!?

Sheldon Barrocks is an author, freelance writer and Award-winning Supply Chain professional. Since 2010 he has published articles covering business, career advancement, creativity, pop culture, music, fashion, sports and more. He's provided creative solutions for major brands like Mars, Kelloggs, General Mills, Conagra, B&G Foods, Ingredion, Henkel and more. Check out his book Unstuck Mondays and join his mailing list to level up in your creativity and career!