Humans have a propensity to develop objectives throughout our lives and spend the majority of our time working towards them. That offers us direction and inspiration to progress. However, it can be harmful to our mental health because it can cause stress signs to become active, which happens when we push ourselves too hard to achieve big goals.

In his article “Small Wins,” psychologist Karl Weick recommends that we focus on the good things in life by keeping track of all the little victories we achieve. He makes the point that the principle is effective because of the shift in viewpoint by using Alcoholics Anonymous as an example. Participants are encouraged to pick simple, daily acts that they can complete rather than focusing on lofty objectives that are difficult to achieve:

The size of a win required to keep sober is substantially reduced when the impossibility of lifetime abstinence is brought down to the more manageable objective of refraining from drinking for the next 24 hours.

Participants acquire confidence and motivation to achieve the same satisfying sensation the next day by enjoying these modest, daily victories. As a result, the behaviour gathers momentum, making the achievement of the ultimate goal seem practically effortless.

The Dangers of Dreaming Big

Every day we are told to “dream big” and set the bar high if we want to accomplish great things. Every motivating speech given by practically any successful person in history includes this cliche. The phrase itself is correct, but we ordinary mortals who are charmed by fairy tale tales of dreams coming true to those who are brave enough to hope and concentrate on the final objective tend to mistake it.

Many individuals tend to forget this when working towards reaching their goals since for every huge accomplishment ever completed, there have been a million smaller victories and breakthroughs that gradually lead there. The following detrimental effects will manifest if we fail to recognise the tiny victories we consistently achieve:

• Our sense of self-worth can be worsened
• We risk feeling bad about ourselves and feeling incompetent when we constantly compare present state to our final goals, which can only lessen our chances of making progress
• We are prone to the feeling of failure and depression when our goals can’t be achieved
• The increased amount of stress we have to cope with when we work on getting it all and now is counterproductive, as it blocks our productivity and weakens our physical health

By shifting our perspective from big to tiny and breaking down our ultimate aim into smaller, more manageable steps, we can relieve stress and prevent health concerns. Focusing on daily accomplishments immediately boosts our motivation, which in turn encourages our brain to get addicted to the sense of fulfilment that comes from pushing ourselves to further our goals. Understanding the value of tiny victories and learning how to use it in daily life will have a huge impact on your ability to achieve goals and general wellness.

Step 1: Start small

Write down your ultimate objective first, then set it aside. It may sound ridiculous, but doing this will enable you to concentrate on the tasks at hand, which is the only way to do them. Put all of your attention into the tasks at hand tomorrow rather than waste time planning months in advance. To progress forwards, one must be present in the moment and only consider the next step. You’ll always feel like you’ve accomplished something thanks to this, and that’ll inspire you to keep going and improve your self-confidence.

Step 2: Reflect often

Take some time every so often to evaluate your development. We frequently overlook the progress that has already been made in favour of concentrating on objectives that remain unfulfilled. This entails evaluating yourself in relation to yourself. If your aim is to shed a specific amount of weight, for instance, you should compare some older images of yourself to the new ones rather than criticising yourself for not having achieved it yet. By doing this, you will be able to see the tangible results of your efforts, which will motivate you to make further progress and make you feel good.

Step 3: Reward yourself

We become accustomed to the achievement-reward formula from an early age, which leads us to think of it as the norm in any situation. Therefore, your mind anticipates that you will reward yourself appropriately if you achieve any success, no matter how great or tiny. Your motivating reserves run low if the payoff doesn’t materialise, rendering your efforts pointless. Give yourself a break and reward yourself with a movie, your favourite delicacy, or a quick trip with your friends the next time you notice yourself pursuing a complex objective single-mindedly without enjoying the tiny victories.

Step 4: Enjoy the process

The ability to remind yourself to be pleased with who you are and the goals you’ve accomplished may be the most crucial thing to remember in order to sustain mental strength in a competitive and goal-oriented environment. Have fun and don’t take oneself too seriously, always. Enjoy learning and expanding. Even if you fall short of your ultimate objective, you can prevent tension and bad feelings by appreciating the process and the lessons learnt.