The Power of Celebrating the Small Wins

As busy + driven women we often overlook celebrating the small wins. If you’re anything like me—or like so many of the women I coach—you’re great at setting ambitious goals. 

You’ve got your big dreams mapped out and maybe even a timeline to get there. But somewhere along the way, we rush past the progress we’re making in real time.

Here’s what I’ve learned: it’s not the big, sweeping changes that create the life we want. It’s the small, consistent actions that add up over time. 

And the best way to keep showing up for those small actions? Celebrate them.

Now, I get it. Celebrating can feel unnecessary, even indulgent. You might think, Why should I celebrate losing 2lbs when I still have 20 pounds to lose? 

Why should I celebrate hitting my step goal when I am supposed to hit it every day?

But here’s the thing: when you brush past your progress without acknowledging it, you’re missing a critical opportunity to build momentum. 

Progress breeds confidence, and confidence keeps you consistent.

Let me tell you a quick story. One of my clients, let’s call her Sarah, started her weight loss journey with a goal of losing 30 pounds. For the first few weeks, she was frustrated because the scale wasn’t moving as quickly as she wanted. But when we sat down and looked at her wins—drinking water consistently, pre-planning her meals instead of winging them, and hitting her protein goal three days in a row—it was clear she was making progress. Once she started celebrating those wins, something shifted. She felt proud, and that pride motivated her to keep going. Today, Sarah is down 25 pounds—not because she was perfect, but because she kept showing up.

So let’s talk about why celebrating small wins is so powerful.

First, it rewires your brain. Celebrating releases dopamine, a feel-good chemical that motivates you to repeat the behavior that led to the win. 

Second, it shifts your focus–from the negative to the positive. It’s easy to get caught up in the gap between where you are and where you want to be. But when you celebrate small wins, you focus on the progress you’re making, and that positivity fuels your drive.

Finally, it makes the journey enjoyable. Let’s face it: big goals can feel overwhelming. But when you take time to celebrate along the way, you make the process fun, meaningful, and sustainable.

Now that we know why celebrating is important, let’s talk about how to do it.

1. Reflect on your progress regularly.
   At the end of each week, set aside five minutes to ask yourself: What went well this week? What am I proud of? Maybe you made it to the gym twice, even though work was crazy. Maybe you said no to dessert at that work dinner, or maybe you just got more steps in than usual. Write those wins down on your check-in. Maybe even keep your own list so that you can see over time how many wins you have. Seeing them written out is a powerful reminder of how far you’ve come–even on hard weeks.

2. Share your wins with someone who will cheer you on.
   If you know about the 5 love languages-I am a words of affirmation person. Having other people share encouragement or positive feedback fills up my cup. But I think everyone loves to hear–good job, I am so proud of you, way to go, you amaze me, etc from someone they care about. So share your wins–text a friend, tell your partner, or share them with me. Sharing your wins not only reinforces your own progress but inspires others to celebrate their wins too.

3. Treat yourself intentionally.
   Now, this doesn’t mean throwing a party every time you check a box. But it does mean finding small, meaningful ways to reward yourself. Maybe it’s a new workout top when you hit a month of consistency or a pedicure after you’ve lost the first 10 pounds. Maybe it’s as simple as taking 10 minutes to enjoy your favorite tea and journal about how proud you are of yourself.

The key here is to make it personal. Your celebrations should feel good to you.

Let me give you an example from my own life. When I hit a big milestone in my business, my first instinct was to brush it off and move on to the next goal. But instead, I planned a dinner with my husband and told him, “I want to celebrate this win with you.” It was small, but it mattered. And you know what? It made me even more excited to keep going.

Celebration doesn’t have to be extravagant, but it does have to be intentional.

So here’s my challenge for you this week: pause, reflect, and celebrate. Write down three wins from the past week—no matter how small they feel. Leave them in the comments and then share them with someone else in your life.