Celebrate the Small Wins

My to the left (towards the back) celebrating a big goal with his teammate

When was the last time you achieved something no matter how small and got just a little bit excited about it? Probably hard to remember. But every day we have something to celebrate, no matter how small and it is those celebrations that carry us forward and help us to achieve more.

My son plays goalie for the high school soccer team, which in my opinion is one of the hardest positions to play because you are the last line of defense against any goal. His coach sent a motivational video the other day that talked about celebrating that big blocked shot, corner kick or anything like that, because that is what gets you fired up, that is what keeps you going and it is that adrenaline rush you need to overcome.

This right here is exactly the reason here to break things down and focus on the small achievements throughout. It might be one small extra payment, just $1 more in savings, 5 minutes of running, or simply waking up early for the day that we tend to glaze over, but the important part is that is 1 small step in the right direction, 1 step closer to what you want to do and it is that step that is important, no matter how small it may be.

There was a time that I only ran, 30-50 miles a week depending on plan and I was a pretty decent distance runner, not elite, but great in my own eyes. Now, I can lift more than I ever could, Deadlift, Bench Press, Back Squat...you name it (except Overhead Press, still my worst), but I cannot run nearly as fast. Despite that, I have been training for a half marathon in 3 weeks. I'm still not running nearly what I once did, but I have been trying to go for a longer run every Saturday.

The other day I was looking at my time and thinking, man that is slow. It cannot be anywhere near where I once was, no way I can run a sub-2 hour marathon like this. On and on I could go. Then I started looking back to 2015/2016 and realized I wasn't running that much faster on these runs back then. My mind imagined me easily running these distance runs, and my struggle resulted in doubt in my head.

The win though, is that I got out and did it. I ran 8 miles or 6 miles or whatever it was and guess what I didn't die. I achieved more that week than I did just a few weeks before. Regardless, I got out there and did it. and that should be celebrated.

A small win is a win. If you are targeting a big goal, celebrate the small wins along the way, by the time you look back you will be amazed at what you accomplished.

Every big accomplishment started with one small win!

"Don't try to rush progress. Remember -- a step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. Keep believing." - Kara Goucher, American long-distance runner