I see you, sitting paralyzed by a mile-long to-do list, anxiety mounting like a damn avalanche, on your third cup of coffee just hoping that sh*t gets done. Your focus is all over the place like a disco ball of hopes and dreams.
Meanwhile, nothing is happening…..
I know you’ve got big goals, and rightly so––you’re fantastic + driven + badass.
But, what does it matter if you’re not moving forward?
Small wins, that’s your cue.
I remember hearing the theory of small wins on an enlightening podcast about work and teams. Sure, having a clear goal helped a team stay focused, but the ONE factor that kept collaborators coming back + innovators innovating + “try, try again” was PROGRESS….even the smallest amount.
You see, small wins create a magical cocktail of balance (short-term/long-term goals), acknowledgment (being appreciated for what you do), and positive reinforcement (we did this well, so more of that!). These mini-milestones, especially when shared with a group, produced positive emotions---warmth, joy, and happiness--among colleagues, and made the days with setbacks easier.
Imagine that your team is your body, mind, and soul. Wins for the body—golden milk instead of the third cup of coffee. Wins for the mind—moved on quickly + gracefully from rejection. Wins for the soul—did something meaningful, expressed gratitude, discovered a passion. The list goes on!
As you celebrate, you generate motivation. It’s like a whole damn motivation factory going on in your psyche! And motivation is the NEMESIS of procrastination.
So, instead of defaulting to all that didn’t get done, try this.
Take five minutes at the end of day----write down your smalls wins. These could be tangible/intangible. Instead of “ ugh i didn’t work on my screenplay for an hour like I said I would” that becomes “I spent 20 more minutes than i have in a week on my screenplay! I’m on the right track.”
Then, have a mini-celebration! Do your happy dance, tell a friend, high-five your partner or your dog!
Remember, you only ever got to where you are now with many many many many tiny decisions and actions ;-)
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