puppies… and celebrating small wins.
Most of my clients struggle to acknowledge and celebrate when they get something done.
It’s usually a mix of “it was such a small thing” and “but there’s so much left to do, I’ll be happy when I’m all done.”
Which is… kind of sad. And also not very helpful.
Because the most reliable kind of progress is built on noticing and appreciating all those smaller, in-between steps.
And no, it’s not going overboard, it’s what actually builds resilience and momentum. (Research-backed, of course.)
It’s connected to the concept of anticipatory loss, which I won’t get into here, but the sum up is: if you skip the small celebrations, you're more likely to skip the whole thing altogether.
If you’re always waiting until the very end to feel proud, there’s a good chance you’ll either feel miserable and lose motivation, or never get started at all.
But let’s say you do start, and you let yourself feel a little proud and fulfilled along the way. Does it really matter if you hit the perfect end goal? By then, it might just be a nice bonus.
I wish we’d all treat ourselves a little more like puppies. More “good job!” energy, more gentle pats, and all the treats just for showing up.
Taking stock of what you did and giving yourself a bit of credit isn’t silly. It’s the thing that helps you keep going.
about the author:
Hi there! I'm Silja, the founder of the wholesome growth club, an inclusive hub for career coaching with a soft spot for introverts and perfectionists. I’m an Amsterdam-based expat, but I love connecting with people worldwide. With a background in recruiting, I know the struggle of crafting a career path that feels truly yours. At the wholesome growth club, we're all about fostering sustainable growth, meaningful engagement, and authentic connections. Our blog is dedicated to making coaching accessible and sharing insights to approach work and life with an extra dose of confidence, slow productivity, and self-compassion. If you are curious to make things happen for yourself, get in touch—we offer personalized coaching journeys that will get you closer to your (dreamy) goals in no time.
