There is Power in the Small Wins

I read a chapter in Essentialism this week entitled, “Progress” that was all about the power of small wins. I love this concept because it is a bit of a mantra in our office that we are looking for progress, not perfection. Of course, I know we are going to experience setbacks and tough days as individuals – I am not looking for perfection ever. I do not look for perfection in myself, let alone anyone working for me. Making progress, not perfection, means that you make the best decision possible and take the next best action possible, in every circumstance, every time. Even if you experience failure, step up, and make the best decision you can with the information and resources you have available to you as a result of that failure. And you just keep making great decisions. Soon you will notice that those great decisions turn into more and more small wins; and those small wins just add up. The amount of momentum you get from merely taking the actions that produce small wins will accumulate. Think of it this way: you don’t just bench press 300 pounds on the first day you ever encounter that piece of equipment. No – you spend something more like two whole years working on your bench press, repeatedly, consistently, and incrementally work up to the strength to press 300 pounds. It’s a process and an accumulation of small gains over time. Those gains you achieve each day turn into the results you ultimately want to see.

“Instead of trying to accomplish it all – and all at once – and flaring out, the Essentialist starts small and celebrates progress.”

The Mindset of Celebrating Small Wins

There are certainly times when the task that stands between you and your small win for the day is something you really don’t want to do. Nevertheless, you know it is important and necessary. Swallow the frog - do those things right away.

Time is finite, and it is certainly a precious and fleeting resource in the world of entrepreneurship, especially. When you find yourself in the thick of it, but still looking for the day’s win, ask yourself, “what is the critical thing in my business right now such that if I just had 30 uninterrupted minutes to spend on it, it would force me to focus on the most important thing of today?” Even if you just inched that important task or project forward, it would be meaningful. Even mere incremental progress made on the most important thing in your business is a win worth recognizing.

One of the most globally applicable skills I learned in Ranger School was the 1/3, 2/3 rule. This rule stipulates that you take 1/3 of your available time to prepare and the remaining 2/3 of available time to execute. So, if you only have 30 minutes available that day to do something important, take the 10 minutes to thoughtfully prepare for the task to ensure that your remaining 20 minutes of execution are extremely focused and powerful. More times than not, such preparation gives you a crucial edge to execution. Even when you don’t have a lot of time, make sure you don’t neglect to prepare.

It is very easy for us to reward and celebrate a big win. When the company closes a huge account, it is a win clearly deserving of celebration. But you cannot forget to reward your smaller wins, too. The small wins in the scheme of day-to-day progress accentuate your efforts to focus on progress, not perfection. It is important to celebrate the small wins because that’s how you encourage your people to operate – you want them to make a gain every day, even if it’s a small gain.

The Essentialist Approach: focus on what is most important

As you are starting your day, set realistic expectations for yourself. Decide on the one thing you are going to get done that will drive your business forward. And when you are expressing your gratitude at the end of each day, force yourself to recall your small wins from the day.

Make progress.

Progress over perfection, always.

Written by Schuyler Williamson

REALTOR. Leader. Veteran. Business Owner. Investor.

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God Bless!

~ Schuyler Williamson