Power of Celebrating Small Wins: How to Encourage Children to Normalise it

We have constrained our minds to celebrate the big achievements but belittle the small wins achieved along the way.

Have you ever wondered how easily we feel down on ourselves? Any small moment not up to our expectations immediately makes us feel guilty or sad. On the other hand, that overachieved expectation does not make us happy. 

We tend to see the bigger picture only when appreciating small wins. We look out for more, demand more, and, in this process, belittle the small celebration we could have for the minor achievement. However, if you don't celebrate or enjoy those small wins, it will be harder to appreciate the larger ones. 

This disparity in our attitude toward showing gratitude is a problem. It decreases motivation and makes it harder to appreciate even significant achievements.

What is a small win?

Small wins might be anything you have achieved that meets with your intentions. They can be anywhere and may be related to work, relationships, habit changes, or finances. Small wins are easy to subside or gloss over, significantly when you are raised to be a perfectionist or self-critic. But Nobody attains the milestone in a day; it takes many small steps to reach there. So, celebrate every small hurdle you cross.

Why should we celebrate the small wins?

Professors Steven J. Kramer and Teresa Amabile of the Harvard Business School gave up the theory of the Progress Principle. It states the idea that 'small wins add up to bigger ones. It suggests that to boost positive emotion and bring motivation, a single moment of perception of achievement is more than sufficient. With each insignificant victory we celebrate, we attain the feeling of accomplishment.

Most of the time, we have a hard time acknowledging our small wins. We usually tell ourselves it is silly to celebrate just an effort. We don't find any relativity in celebrating a complete hour of studying, one week of a regular workout session, or baking a muffin for the first time.  

But we think that these things aren't to be celebrated because they aren't any vast achievements. But, they are a successful step towards your goal. It is to be celebrated because it has raised you one step closer to changing your habits. It needs to be counted as an achievement because earlier, it was a milestone. 

Small wins are a great process of changing yourself and achieving who you are becoming. 

The habit of celebrating small wins in children

Appreciating small wins or achievements is like a good habit; it does not cultivate in a day. But the habit of appreciating and showing gratitude has to be built from childhood in children. For kids, small wins are like the sign that leads to more significant milestones later. Celebrating Child's small wins gives them a sense of progress. It shows them that they have accomplished something to reach the bigger goal. 

How to encourage children to celebrate small wins?

The definition of achievement is entirely different for you and your kids. So, when your kid experiences a small win, make them aware of the feeling. They might find things rewarding even when it is just a little progress. So, recognize their wins to keep them motivated because it's what they like doing. They can be successful when you celebrate what your kid has done so far to excel. 

Here are the steps to encourage them to keep going:

Recognize their wins

Always recognize your kids for their wins, Whether improving from grade C to B or finishing the work earlier than the decided time. When you recognize and teach them how it feels to be appreciated and rewarded, only they will understand how it feels to achieve something, whether small or big. Your kids unknowingly take up your habits, so they will learn them themselves if you appreciate all the little things in life.

Set the achievable goals

Never set the bars too high for your kids so that even a big steep step doesn't seem like an achievement. Understanding that many small steps together make a big difference is essential. Don't pressurize yourself or your child by setting too ambitious and big goals. By setting achievable and realistic goals, your kid can quickly get some 'runs on the board', boosting their confidence and encouraging them to keep going.

Give kudos to their efforts

Never link their success to the results. Results are significant but not more than their efforts and hard work. Always remember, the effort is itself a small win! It is crucial because your kid might be at the stage of building up their confidence. Not appreciating them for their effort might demotivate them. Looking at the big picture, practically, Your kids will get hit by roadblocks and bumps. So they must know that it is the effort that counts.

Cultivate gratitude

Gratitude is a powerful feeling; it helps to heal and energise. When you learn to acknowledge every small win, it improves your psychological health. It reduces toxic emotions such as regret, envy and frustration. Gratitude is a habit; cultivate that in your kid. Teach them to appreciate and show gratitude from childhood. 

Don't beat yourself up

Kids are first learners, and they learn everything from you. So instead of energising guilt and negativity, energise them with motivation. Don't talk negatively or push yourself so hard that you forget to appreciate your small wins.

Learning to celebrate small wins and appreciate every achievement is key to remaining motivated. Each time you or your kids mark off a step towards a milestone, celebrate it by adding a star to that day's calendar or rewarding yourself or the kid. You can treat your kid or yourself with a tasty meal or by going out. The process of bringing a change is the celebration in itself, and the achievement of reinforcing good behaviour is the thing to appreciate. Your daily, small steps in the right direction will bring significant, life-changing achievements. So celebrate and encourage your kids to celebrate every achievement-no matter big or small.