Small Successes

[settinggoals321]

I think the little details can matter the most, in some cases. Small successes, for example, can be really great motivators. Of course, huge successes can be really great too, but I think people overlook smaller successes too. After building these up, one can feel accomplished and confident. Reaching smaller goals for the day, helping another person out, or even simply making someone smile can be great motivators. I think small successes can be just as important as larger successes. Helping others out is a good example, as it can boost one's self-esteem and make one feel accomplished. What do you guys think? What are some smaller successes that really motivate you in life?

 

[ben_paul_22]

Small successes are huge. For me, it's taking it one day at a time. I know that's painfully cliche, but if I start looking ahead at a busy week or something I am dreading later in the month, it makes the current moment in time that much more difficult. So, I concentrate on the current day and look forward to something, anything, that can help carry me through other parts of the day. And when I check those items off my list, it feels like the small successes are leading up to one big one.

 

[johnson-kendall]

Small successes add up to large successes overtime. They allow you to see progress because I believe that any progress is progress, no matter how small. I like to make checklists and cross things off the checklists because it means I am closer to my goal.

 

[ositolector]

Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report written on birds that he'd had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, CA and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him put his arm around my brother's shoulder, and said, "Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.
This is from A nne Lamott great book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. I think the subtitle word Instructions is misplaced, its more inspirational and biographical of her writing life and illustrates the idea in the above post in a funny and encouraging way. Recommended.

 

[tyleralecia]

I try to set out small goals in hopes of a bigger one. And even though I am a long term planner, I always consider the small successes as huge wins. It really helps when I'm going through a rough patch and feel like I have been failing at a lot of the things I've been attempting to do. That small success makes believe that slow and steady wins the race and even though I'm not knocking out goals, I'm on my way to something big!

 

[tploeger]

Small goals are fantastic for keeping motivation! It gives you something a little easier to look forward to and achieve while you're on the path to a larger goal. While it's great to create milestones for every big or long-term goal, using these 'smaller successes' is particularly helpful with weight loss. If your goal is to lose 20lbs, treating the 5, 10, and 15lb loss markers will keep you motivated to keep going.