Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

How do you celebrate small wins?

Passive Income, MD
Physician
October 13, 2019
Share
Tweet
Share

If you’re reading this, I have news for you. You are a high achiever.

Yes, I mean you.

You’ve set lofty goals in your life, and you’ve achieved a level of success others only dream of.

This might be in the area of academics, business, or relationships–and for some of you, all of the above. You’ve accomplished big things.

But I have a question for you. When was the last time you celebrated something small?

Really, it’s something you may have never thought about. You see, I’ve found that, over time, highly successful people almost grow numb to small achievements.

For example, when a sports team has won multiple championships, it becomes harder to celebrate winning a regular-season game.

The thing is, most of us have forgotten that goals are achieved through a series of small wins.

I’m a huge fan of goal setting. I love setting a lofty goal and then reverse engineering that goal to figure out how to achieve it. I think this is the best way to reach a goal that seemed almost too high–at first.

We should be setting goals that are uncomfortably high. It pushes us to be better. That’s something that I’ve been working on these last few months. So many of us are content to stay in the “safe zone,” so we don’t have to risk failure.

Staying motivated

To reach large goals, we need to find ways to stay motivated. But just how do we do that?

One way to accomplish this is to remind ourselves of these goals daily. Another is to add some emotion to these goals; make sure that they’re a “must” and not a “should.” Keep your focus on why you’re doing it.

And really, we need to celebrate wins along the way. Encouragement goes a long way to helping you stay on your journey.

In fact, many will say that while the goal is important, the journey and process is even more important. That’s where the growth and learning happen, and that’s what makes us feel fulfilled.

ADVERTISEMENT

For example, look at all the people that have achieved massive fame or accolades. Does that guarantee happiness? Absolutely not. However, I’m sure they felt a purpose in the midst of their journey. Something that helped them push on to their goals.

In practical terms, we should set large goals, but then start breaking them down into smaller chunks.

For example, if you have a ten-year goal, you should also decide where you want to be in five years, then in two years, one year, and six months. Can you reach a place in three months that will put you on pace for that goal?

Once you’ve put some goals in place, it’s also important to celebrate those milestones as you reach them. The three-month goal is just as important as the then year goal because it’s a step taken to where you want to be.

How do you celebrate small wins?

So how do we celebrate small wins? Here are some ways I’ve found to be effective.

1. Take time daily to recognize those small wins. Some do it in the form of journaling. Others might meditate. Others just take a few moments before they sleep to remember the good things that they did that day.

Either way, it’s important to take inventory of each daily achievement. That little feeling of pride even gives a little shot of dopamine. Who wouldn’t want that each day?

2. Share your successes with others. If you have a partner, communicate the small successes to them. They’ll want to share in your wins, and it encourages others as well. If you have a mastermind group or a community of like-minded folks, they’ll also want to celebrate with you.

In our Facebook group, Passive Income Docs, we celebrate “High-Five Fridays,” where we celebrate wins both big and small. Some people highlight things they did well for their families this week. Others involve their businesses, and still, others celebrate the things we take for granted, like just being able to breathe for another day.

3. Reward yourself. Figure out a way to celebrate those small wins, whether it’s rewarding yourself at that moment, or simply keeping on track to a bigger celebration. You know what keeps you motivated best. For me, it might be a round of golf, but for some, it might be your favorite ice cream.

4. Change your mindset. It’s a natural human instinct to spend a disproportionate amount of our focus and mental energy on things that went poorly or on things that we can’t control. That’s part of our survival instinct. It helps us avoid future pain.

But realize that failures happen and with continued effort, the overall progress is in a positive direction.

I’m always reminded of that quote by Thomas Edison: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

It sounds like he had the right perspective. He seems to have found ways to celebrate even the failures in life.

It takes real intentionality to break out of the negative thoughts and focus on the good things in life.

Focusing on the small wins helps with that. When you cultivate that positivity, you’ll be better able to make progress toward your goals. And, dare I say it, that just might be one of the keys to true happiness.

“Passive Income, MD” is a physician who blogs at his self-titled site, Passive Income M.D.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Do you have these 5 risk factors for physician burnout?

October 13, 2019 Kevin 3
…
Next

A cardiologist's take on red meat consumption

October 13, 2019 Kevin 37
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Do you have these 5 risk factors for physician burnout?
Next Post >
A cardiologist's take on red meat consumption

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Passive Income, MD

  • 3 myths about financial freedom

    Passive Income, MD
  • How to make $5 million from investing in real estate

    Passive Income, MD
  • Work hard now, enjoy later. Is it time to rethink that?

    Passive Income, MD

Related Posts

  • You completed your rank order list. Celebrate the moment.

    Alexis Holmes
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • 3 reasons why July 1st should be a day to celebrate

    N. Bande Virgil, MD
  • The people vs. opioid pharma: Pharma wins again

    Rebecca Thaxton, MD
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD

More in Physician

  • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

    Neil Baum, MD
  • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

    Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD
  • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

    Ryan Nadelson, MD
  • Why listening to parents’ intuition can save lives in pediatric care

    Tokunbo Akande, MD, MPH
  • Finding balance and meaning in medical practice: a holistic approach to professional fulfillment

    Dr. Saad S. Alshohaib
  • How regulatory overreach is destroying innovation in U.S. health care

    Kayvan Haddadan, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department triage [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Why timing, not surgery, determines patient survival

      Michael Karch, MD | Conditions
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why point-of-care ultrasound belongs in every emergency department triage [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why PSA levels alone shouldn’t define your prostate cancer risk

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to handle chronically late patients in your medical practice

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • Reframing chronic pain and dignity: What a pain clinic teaches us about MAiD and chronic suffering

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • How early meetings and after-hours events penalize physician-mothers

      Samira Jeimy, MD, PhD and Menaka Pai, MD | Physician
    • Why medicine must evolve to support modern physicians

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...