The Benefits of Celebrating Small Victories

Have you ever noticed how simple it is for us to feel down on ourselves? We usually don’t have an issue feeling guilty about what we perceive as poor performance. Whether the slip is large or small, punishing oneself seems to come naturally for many. But when it comes to feeling proud about achieving something, it is easy to let the moment slip through our fingertips. It is vital that we celebrate the little victories on our journey, and this article will explore why. 

Firstly, let’s establish what “small victories” are. Small victories are anything you accomplish that aligns with your intentions. They can be related to work, professional and personal relationships, habit changes, and every aspect of your life. Small victories can be easy to gloss over, primarily if you’re used to a diet of self-criticism and perfectionism. 

It Makes You Feel Happy

Pausing to celebrate a small victory, for example, cleaning your whole house, even when you have the floors left, remind you that you are making progress, and progress feels good. Dr Timothy Pychyl said that “progress on our goals makes us feel happier and more satisfied with life”. You do not have to wait for someday when you hopefully accomplish your goals. Commemorate the small victories along the way and be happy now. 

It Gives You the Motivation to Keep Going

If you allow yourself to dwell on the shortcomings or how far you still have to go, you might give up. You might begin thinking, “this isn’t worth it… I am not getting anywhere… what is the point?”. However, when you give your attention to and celebrate the little victories, you are lifting your spirits and giving yourself the boost, you need to keep going. 

It Builds Your Confidence

If you enable your attention to be obsessed with obstacle after obstacle, it is effortless to feel defeated and powerless. However, when you celebrate the small victories, you make another deposit into your ‘confidence bank’ that says, “I can do this!”

Consider keeping a daily log of your small victories. At the end of the week, you can read everything you celebrated, which will help you experience the accumulation of all the small victories. And if you want to share an even bigger win, re-read your celebration journal at the end of every year—happy celebrating.

For more lighthearted articles, check our Mindful blog section.