The power of celebrating small wins

In 2010, Dave Brailsford, general manager and performance director for Team Sky (Great Britain’s professional cycling team), faced a tough job. No British cyclist had ever won the Tour de France and he was asked to change that.

Brailsford’s approach was simple. He believed in a concept that he referred to as “the one percent margin for improvement in everything you do.” He searched for one percent improvements in tiny areas that were overlooked by almost everyone else: discovering the pillow that offered the best sleep and taking it with them to hotels, testing for the most effective type of massage gel, and teaching riders the best way to wash their hands to avoid infection. They searched for one percent improvements everywhere.

In 2012, Team Sky rider Sir Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France and the team dominated the Olympic Games, winning 70 percent of the gold medals available. In 2013, Team Sky’s rider Chris Froome won the Tour de France again.

So, what can we learn from Brailsford’s approach?

There is nothing called an overnight success. Look at any successful professional or business and you will learn that big achievements do not happen overnight. Each one of them have taken small, consistent steps each day to reach their destination. This is why it is important to celebrate every small win. And take every small victory as a positive sign of progress be it in your personal life or professional capacity. It also helps you acknowledge all your hard work and affirm that you can only get better from here.

Celebrating small wins can unlock the power in you to do more and achieve more by boosting your confidence, keeping you motivated and happy, helping you track your progress and developing a sense of appreciation, no matter how small the triumph.

Ready to experience the magic of small acts and big impact? Here are some effective ways to get started.

1. Break larger goals into smaller goals

There’s a famous joke, “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Similarly, as a first step, break the big rock into smaller pieces. When you only eye the big goal, you may end up neglecting the smaller ones. Break the huge goal into bite-sized activities and you can instantly measure and monitor the progress, achieved through small wins.

2. Change your perspective

Alternate the manner in how you examine small achievements. Unwittingly, and often, we forget to rejoice in small victories because we no longer think of them as significant. If yes, it’s time to change your perspective and acknowledge how much that tiny win has helped you grow and advance in life.

3. Go with the flow

It’s important to go with the flow and not unnecessarily put pressure on yourself. Shift your mindset from how other people will think and celebrate every small win, the way you want.

4. Share your wins

You can start to celebrate your small victories with your close circle of friends and family members. When you share your triumphs with people who are involved and who care, the compounding effect of the appreciation will spread.

5. Remain consistent

Though perfection is the goal, repetition is more important. Be it dropping a few pounds or adding to your investment portfolio, the tiny gains will soon add up to big results. So make the power of consistency work for you. In fact, consistency is essential in every endeavour big or small. You just can’t escape the truism that mastery in any subject will demand a lot of consistency and hard work.

6. Reward yourself

Once in a while, or consistently (as mentioned above), make it a habit to appreciate and reward yourself. Be it going to your favourite restaurant or buying the dress that you always wanted, its OK to indulge yourself. Remember, what gets rewarded gets repeated.

7. Be kind to yourself

This will help you in the long run. Be compassionate with yourself, practice some self-love and trust yourself. If you are facing setbacks, treat yourself with compassion until you bounce back.

According to American entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn, success is nothing but a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.

Never underestimate the power of slow gains. Make every dream come true with daily discipline and your consistency in accomplishing small wins.