The Power of Momentum: Importance of Celebrating Small Wins

What would we do in this world without the motivation that enables us to set goals and see them to fruition? Let's face it, most goals wouldn't get started without motivation. We are getting closer to the end of the year, and most people already have their new year's resolutions. I want to increase market share and revenue, lose weight, use candor, read books, build muscle, find love, become more spiritual, and so on. The world has many motivational speakers who have been instrumental in enabling us to get our goals started, but what happens when we hit a stonewall or plateau? Is the answer to listen to more motivational speakers? Maybe or maybe not.

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When you set goals, you should have metrics by which you measure progress. I'll give you an example. Mariah just got a job as a salesperson in Company X, and she sets a goal to increase market share for her company by bringing in 10 new customers in Q3 and Q4. She starts reading books and taking sales courses to improve her persuasion skills. The end goal is to bring in 10 new customers in the last two quarters of the year, and if she successfully does this, she has accomplished her goals.

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The first thing Mariah needs to do is to have smaller goals (metrics) by which she can measure progress. She'll need to know her target market, build a pipeline, cold call, get through the gatekeeper, handle objections, book meetings, close deals, etc. She'll need to get great at these sequential stages to attain her larger goal of bringing in 10 new customers in 6 months.

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Another example is Gloria, who's just had twins and needs to lose the baby weight. During her pregnancy, she added 40 lbs. and wants to return to pre-pregnancy weight. Her goal is to lose 40 lbs. in 10 months. So, she joins a gym, starts a new workout and diet program, and maybe even gets a trainer. Her metrics will be to eat fewer calories, increase protein intake, exercise cardiovascular, and lift weights. She'll need to get great at these if she is to lose 40 lbs. in 10 months.

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What we see is consistent in these two examples are the smaller goals within the larger plan. These ladies do not need to listen to any more motivational tapes to stay motivated. Every day they put in the work is a day to accomplish smaller goals that eventually will lead them to attain their larger goal. In the case of Gloria, if she focuses too much on the larger goal of losing 40 lbs. by checking the scale every day and the scale isn't tipping, she will become discouraged. If Mariah expects to add two customers each month from the get-go and it doesn't happen, she also will become discouraged.

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There is a process that needs to be diligently followed. No one starts elementary school today and expects to be in high school the following year. If Mariah cannot get meetings with the decision-makers, it is improbable that she will be getting new customers. If Gloria does not follow her diet and workout program, it is implausible that she will lose the baby weight. These two women need momentum as their source of motivation, or they risk plateauing, which will make them quit or give up.

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Mariah needs to celebrate learning to build a pipeline. She needs to celebrate getting through the gatekeeper. She needs to celebrate meeting the decision-makers. All these are what I refer to as small wins. The small wins (momentum) are her achievements as she goes through the process. The momentum becomes the source of motivation to keep going against all odds.

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Gloria needs to celebrate joining a gym. She needs to celebrate having a workout and diet program. She must celebrate eating fewer calories and lifting weights she couldn't lift before. Her form as she exercises improves, and her eating habits also improve. These small wins (momentum) are precisely what Gloria needs to keep going against all odds.

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We often want to get to our goals as quickly as possible, and we become disheartened because we underestimate the power of momentum. Our eyes are only set on the final results we so badly desire, entirely forgetting that we cannot skip the process if we want sustainable success. Next time you set a goal, make sure you have a process that tracks your progress. Learn to celebrate small wins and use that as momentum to keep going when things get tough. Just focus on your strategies and remember to pat yourself on the back as you complete each step in the process. The results you so badly want are inevitable at this point.

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I recently challenged myself in my business to celebrate small wins in my larger goal of growing my new sales coaching and training business. I want a 35 percent increase in market share over the next ten months. The first step was to write down my strategy, which included the following:

·?????Wrote a draft proposal on my offering

·?????Reached out to already existing clients and prospects about my new offering

·?????Set up a mailing list of readers for my weekly sales articles

·?????Built a pipeline of new prospects

·?????Joined several chambers of commerce

·?????Wrote sales training programs

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I'll need to celebrate wins in each step before adding just one customer. Success in each stage becomes the momentum I need to keep going in the face of many adversities because there will be many.