How to Elevate by Tracking Small Wins
Take a moment and think, when's the last time I celebrated or did a little happy dance inside because I did something great? Chances are, you'll have a hard time remembering.
Why do we struggle with acknowledging our achievements?
I'm talking big AND small here, friends. When you choose an apple over chips at lunch, when you stand up for someone who is being bullied, when you learn from a failure and come back stronger; big or small, every success deserves celebration and recognition as being part of your growth and development. These are the moments that get you from Point A to Point B.
There is such power in this practice.
I am so guilty of this! Here's a perfect example. When I completed my first marathon back in 2008 (Marine Corps. Marathon in Washington, D.C.), I felt an insane rush of excitement. Soon afterwards, (I'm talking hours) I was asking myself, "When's my next race?" Instead of relishing in the fact that I just completed a grueling 26.2 mile race, I was on to my next goal.
Where's the joy in that?
Our experience of growth and achieving our large scale successes will be that much more enjoyable if we're celebrating the journey. How do we do that though?
Here's what's been working for me and I've seen amazing results.
Weekly, I plan out my days using a Purposeful Planner that allows me to organize my thoughts down to the hour. First, I dump all of my weekly to-do's into a list, where I then plot them by day of the week. and then by the hour. As I began to see lots of wins in my corner, I wanted to track these wins to boost my confidence and keep me going.
My 'Small Win Tracker' was born!
Small Wins Tracker!
Capture the “I did it moment’
How did that moment make you feel?
Which category does this fall into?
For the past month, I've been using it and have loved the results.
I am not only happier but I'm so much more present in my moments of small successes, making me more apt to create moments of excellence moving forward.
I almost crave catching myself doing something great!
Research shows that we're not only more happy, but more creative and motivated when we're tracking. The practice I created is designed to track your "I did it" moment, the feeling associated with that win and also record where it falls into your life journey (social, career, family, love, finances, and/or wellness). This way, when you look back you can see which areas you've been focusing on and tracking the most frequent wins. What else is great about this practice, is you can visibly see where you're placing most of your focus. For me, it's wellness. I could use some focusing in the areas of finances or making an effort to be more social.
Once you begin tracking and want to amp it up a bit.
SHARE your wins!
I know most of us are a bit averse to a 'humble brag', but it's easy to work into a conversation without boldly coming out and saying: "Hey, look at me, I've kept my plants alive!" By sharing your wins, you may inspire others to also track their wins and create a flow of positivity and celebration. By verbalizing your wins, you're extending that moment of pride and excitement in your small victory.