Progress, Not Perfection: Celebrating the Small Wins

Oct 17

From Frail to Fueled

After I put my cleats to rest and took a hiatus from the gym and athlete life, I can vividly remember the first time I stepped back into the gym. I was pretty frail, with barely any muscles left on me. I set this big goal for myself: I was going to squat my bodyweight.

Week after week, I remember feeling frustrated that I wasn’t hitting that daunting goal. Defeated, I even thought, “Maybe I should just quit…”

Have you ever felt like that while chasing a goal? Maybe you’re frustrated in your weight loss journey because the scale isn’t moving as fast as you’d like. Or perhaps you’re struggling to hit your personal best in the gym. Why do we feel this way?

The truth is, we often focus on big, long-term outcome goals—those shiny, “finish line” type of achievements—rather than celebrating the small wins along the way.

What Are Small Wins?

Small wins are the tiny, actionable steps that move us closer to our bigger goals. Think of them as the building blocks of success.

Some examples:

Adding protein to every meal
Drinking enough water daily
Going for a walk on recovery days
Adding 5 pounds to your squat
Doing a few extra push-ups than usual

Big wins are inspiring, yes—but they can also become a source of disappointment if we don’t meet them quickly. Small wins, on the other hand, keep us encouraged and consistent.

How to Track Your Small Wins

So how do we actually celebrate the small victories?

Set small goals: For lifting, maybe aim for a 5-pound increase each week or two. For nutrition, add a few grams of protein or fiber daily until you’ve reached a good maintenance number.
Track your progress: Use a journal, fitness app, or even sticky notes on your fridge or on your car dashboard.
Share your wins: Tell your family, friends, or gym community about your progress—it feels great to celebrate together. Posting to social media can not only share your testimonial of success, but also hold you accountable to others who are following your journey.
Reward yourself: Treat yourself to something fun, like a new workout outfit or a smoothie from your favorite spot.

Why Small Wins Matter

If we constantly beat ourselves up for not reaching our larger goals, we risk losing hope. The excitement for what we’re trying to achieve fades, and so does our motivation. Small wins keep the momentum alive, boost confidence, and improve mood—helping us stick with our habits and see real progress over time.

But it goes deeper than that. Small wins matter because they retrain your brain to notice success instead of failure. When we celebrate little victories, we start to associate effort with achievement. That creates a positive cycle: you try, you win, you feel good, and you want to keep going. Without that, hitting a big goal can feel like climbing a mountain with no footholds—intimidating and exhausting.

Small wins also make progress tangible. It’s easy to get lost in numbers on a scale or weight on a barbell, but noticing that you drank your water goal for three days straight, or that you added one more rep to your set, makes the effort visible. That visibility fuels motivation more than distant outcomes ever could.

Finally, small wins build resilience. Life throws curveballs: stress, busy schedules, injuries. By focusing on what you can control—those little victories—you strengthen your ability to adapt and keep moving forward. Over time, these small, consistent wins stack into bigger achievements you once thought impossible.

In short, small wins aren’t just a motivational trick—they’re the engine that drives lasting progress. They remind you that you’re capable, you’re improving, and you’re already on the path to success.