The Magnificent Hill of “Small Wins”
Step 1 On How to Close out 2024
*Read the following lines like a radio/tv ad*
Did you wake up today against all odds?
Have you finally gotten out of bed and taken a shower?
Were you able to brush your teeth today?
Are you experiencing much deserved triumph from doing the dishes?
Then this
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“Celebrate small wins.” It’s one of the many mantras of our generation, plastered on motivational posters, Instagram stories, and your coworker’s LinkedIn updates. We get it. You finally remembered to reply to that email, you managed to get out of bed before noon, or you finally started that course you’ve been postponing for almost 2 years now. Big (small) wins, fam!
But here’s the thing: Can we agree that it’s time to stop throwing a parade every time we check something off a list? Sure, that small win feels good — like when you finish an entire book, only to realize it’s a self-help book and now you feel even more obligated to do everything it said. But here’s the catch: Celebrating small wins is fine, but don’t die on that hill.
You got your little victory? Great. Now what? If you keep popping confetti every time you iron your clothes or finally declutter your wardrobe (yes I’m looking at you), you’re going to end up camped out in the land of mediocrity. That hill might feel nice to rest on for a moment, but there’s a whole mountain of bigger wins waiting for you. And spoiler alert: The world isn’t handing out participation trophies for just showing up.
The point is: Celebrate those small wins as a pit stop, not the finish line. They’re there to fuel you, not to trap you in a loop of self-congratulation. Sure, you checked off your to-do list, but now let’s raise the stakes a bit. You’ve got bigger mountains to climb — don’t get so comfy on that cozy little hill of small victories. That hill isn’t where the magic happens—but in the combination of the small hills wins put together. The magic happens when you push yourself to do even more, go further, and actually win something bigger, not necessarily bigger in terms of scope, but bigger in terms of getting your closer to your BIG GOALS!
So yeah, celebrate the small wins. But then, tell the parara to stop playing and keep moving forward.
With everything in me I implore you, encourage you, even beseech you, to yes, Celebrate Small Wins…. But please, for the love of progress, and advancement, Don’t Die on That Hill!🙏🏾
Rooting for you (from my own small hill where I succeeded in writing this piece)
Jisike fam!
NB: (This caveat is for a handful of people ONLY) Depending on your abilities, phase of life, available resources, and unique challenges, some of the examples shared above might actually not be a “small win” for you. Kindly interpret the message based on your context, and apply accordingly. As long as you get to Celebrate small wins but still WIN BIG…
Keep breathing.
Lovely and thought provoking!
Thanks for an insightful read.