The Little Things

A chef doesn't wait until the restaurant is packed to feel proud of the meal.

They taste the sauce and nod. The knife work is clean—another nod. The timing comes together—a quiet "yes." Each small victory builds confidence for the next dish.

But many have trained themselves to save celebration for the finish line. The big launch. The annual review. The completed project.

This is a mistake.

Small wins are the compound interest of motivation. When you acknowledge that you sent the difficult email, finished the first draft, or had the awkward conversation, something shifts. Your brain starts to associate progress with reward, effort with recognition.

The celebration doesn't need to be big. A mental checkmark. A moment of satisfaction. A note in your journal. The point isn't the size of the party—it's the consistency of the signal.

You're not being soft or lowering your standards. You're being strategic. Because the person who celebrates small wins creates more of them. The work gets easier when you remember to notice it's working.

What small win from today deserves a moment of recognition?

Don’t wait—celebrate!