Celebrating the Small Wins: How To Build Confidence in Yourself and Your Unique Purpose
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Do you ever feel overwhelmed with how seemingly unattainable your goals or dreams are? Focusing too much on the ‘big picture’ can do this to us. While it is good to be future-minded, sometimes we need to be more focused on the here and now.
Why is that, you ask?
Celebrating the small wins in your life can help you appreciate the everyday moments that, with clarity and commitment, eventually bring us the long-term success we hope for.
⤵ Don’t feel like reading? Listen instead! ⤵
Does this sound like you? All of this over-thinking, over-analyzing, and doubting, worrying on the hamster wheel to nowhere land?
I understand how your mind thinks because, like you, I struggle with being too future-focused.
It causes me to often deal with “paralysis by analysis.” Then I get frustrated because I haven’t accomplished diddly squat, all while imagining 1,000 ‘what if’ scenarios that don’t solve a thing!
Am I speaking to anyone here? Or am I alone in my mental madness?
Our lives come with all sorts of tragedies, triumphs, and rocky terrain. Our “to-do” lists are overwhelming all by themselves.
It’s easy to feel like you have entirely too much to do and not nearly enough hours to do it with! Right?
If we really think about it though: how much time do we waste each day on meaningless mess? What if we re-directed that time and energy into getting clear on what we want out of life?
Having goals is a wonderful thing. Having clarity in our vision helps us stay on track with wise daily decisions.
I’m not suggesting every moment of the day should be spent being ‘productive.’ I think productivity-obsession is unhealthy.
What I am suggesting is that analyzing where we’re wasting our time needlessly can help us refocus and move toward, instead of away from, any goals we’d like to accomplish.
Celebrating the small wins means kicking our self-doubt to the curb
We know the thoughts all too well. They tell us we aren’t enough, won’t make it, and that we might as well just give it up.
Heaven forbid we don’t see the progress we hoped to see in the timeframe we hoped to see it.
Don’t be afraid to challenge your fears. Look them in the face and ask yourself questions like these:
- “Is this really true?”
- “Why am I feeling this way?”
- “Are there limiting beliefs about myself I need to address?”
- “Why can’t I do this? Who said?!?”
- “Am I afraid of failing…or succeeding?”
- “What is this feeling trying to teach me about myself?”
What I have found to be true is that facing my fears head on has taught me the most about who I am and what my purpose is.
Consider this: Your greatest gift usually is found in the area of your greatest struggle. What makes you most afraid? What makes you most angry? Pay attention. These are some of the biggest clues to unlocking your purpose.
It’s always darkest before the dawn. A delay in your dream does not mean denial. Celebrate your everyday wins and watch your confidence soar. #success #goals #smallvictories
No matter the goal, no matter the dream — there will always be ups, downs, and everything in between along the way.
Preparing ourselves ahead of time for this reality teaches us not to throw in the towel when the challenges come. And come, they will…
Challenges don’t equal failure unless we choose to quit.
Holly ♥ – wholenesshaven.com
Related Reading: Self Doubt: Stop Doubting Yourself and Start Living
So how do we build confidence by celebrating the small wins?
It starts with our mindset.
Our flawed human perception seems to make it entirely too easy for us to just focus on our failures and flaws (especially when they’re only imagined in our own heads!).
You’re not alone! Most of us can tell you in a split second what we don’t like about ourselves.
Ask those same people what they love about themselves and watch the effort required to think that follows… It’s tragic, really.
Sometimes it feels like everyone is accomplishing their goals and winning in life, but you, right?
Celebrating the small wins in life reminds us that while we may not be where we’d like – we’ve come a really long way from where we began.
We can be so critical of ourselves that we forget to look at all we HAVE accomplished.
Each and every day, we accomplish things that often happen on ‘auto-pilot.’ Yet they get overlooked because they don’t feel impressive.
In reality, businesses and success are rarely built on the BIG moments. Sure, we may get big breaks, but those big breaks could only come if we first made small steps in the right direction.
Too often, our culture tells us “go big or go home.” This message makes us feel that if we’re not making these huge, monumental strides toward a goal, we must be failing.
Is that really true, though?
Here’s my challenge to you:
Take out a notepad and pen, or the notes app on your phone and log everything you accomplished that day.
Can you still say you accomplished nothing at all?
I seriously doubt it!
You see, we really do forget to celebrate the small, seemingly mundane, everyday wins.
We forget that small steps matter too.
Any forward momentum is going to require that we start somewhere, even if it’s just small, scared steps. Do it afraid.
When we decide to walk a mile – it doesn’t just magically happen. We take that first step. Then the next, and then another step. Gradually, as we move forward, we arrive at our mile goal.
Our lives, our businesses, our creative ideas, are really no different.
Success is not an accident and there is no such thing as a one-size fits all criteria for how to achieve it, either.
Write your goals down. Break them down into bite-sized chunks. What do you want or need to accomplish? What are some simple steps you can take today to get there?
Take those small, easily attainable ideas and work to fulfill them each day. Become mindful of everything you have achieved.
Setting small goals and achieving them tricks our brains into releasing dopamine, our “feel-good hormone.” Your brain then becomes motivated to get more of the good-feelies which helps you stay focused!
As we learn to be consistent with checking off those boxes each day, celebrating our small wins, we build confidence and trust in our ability to accomplish anything we set out to do.
Everyone starts somewhere
If you press grapes, wine will pour out; if you crush roses, perfume will pour out; if you afflict the talented, genius will pour out.
― Matshona Dhliwayo
Each of these small actions may seem insignificant in the moment. It takes time to see the full fruit of our sacrifices.
You may feel like you’re spinning your wheels going nowhere. Heaven knows, I understand!
When our everyday life doesn’t match what we expect, sometimes we feel lost. At times, we might feel that we haven’t accomplished anything at all.
Just remember – we all must start somewhere. Every successful business started with nothing more than an idea.
Every successful person you admire was once facing the exact same fears, pressures, doubts, and obstacles as you.
Every successful marriage has seen its share of fiery trials. Every successful anything has been tested to the max for endurance.
Quick successes often fall victim to quick endings too. We see trends come and go all the time.
We don’t want a trend. We want a track record.
Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s “arrival.”
Don’t give up on yourself or the hopes inside your heart.
You deserve to live your life on purpose. You deserve to accomplish everything that was prepared for you to do. In fact, we need you to!
You do deserve to live a meaningful life.
You are fully capable!
We can’t allow our lying inner critic to rob us of a life lived on purpose. Nothing is stopping us except the limiting beliefs we believe about ourselves and our situations.
What do you mean, ‘If I can’?,” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
What ways can you start celebrating the small wins in your own life?
You have achieved far more than you realize. You have touched more lives than you know. Never underestimate the power of your kindness and your willingness to push through the pain.
What are your current goals and how are you celebrating the small wins in your everyday life?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below so I can join you in celebrating the small wins in your life!
If this message spoke to you, will you share it with your friends on social media? Thank you so much!
Until next time – I send my love.
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