Did you know that the CN Tower has 1,776 steps that lead to the top, and that it held the record for being the world’s tallest free-standing structure for 32 years, until 2007?
What if someone told you that if you climbed all of these steps you would achieve your dream goal. In order to do this, you would have to start with one step, right? So you take one, and then a few more, and you stop.
At this point, would you feel excited, or discouraged, knowing that you still had 1772 more steps to go? Are those four steps not closer to the finish line than being on the ground? That’s something, right???
I was faced with this choice the other day where I had achieved some mini-steps but not my BIG GOAL. That was the moment that the CN Tower analogy popped into my head, and I realized that I had a choice.
I could choose to stress over where I hadn’t reached as yet, or I could choose to remain in the moment and celebrate my “small-wins”.
My “small win” with regard to climbing the CN Tower was to celebrate each time I climbed 20 stairs, which would make the journey feel less arduous. That way, I could bask in the accomplishment of going a bit further each time, and increase my motivation to complete the journey.
I decided then, that where my dreams were concerned, I would celebrate every time I accomplished each “little win” that happened along my journey to my dream, relishing the feeling, and congratulating myself for showing up with consistency.
This, of course, can be applied to anything in life. We often have no clue how long the “staircase” or journey to our goals is. It could be as short as 5 steps or as far as climbing the CN Tower. All that we are assured of, is that we must keep climbing until we achieve that goal.
So here are my 5 tips to achieving and celebrating your small wins that will ultimately lead to you dream goal:
- Set clear goals. Knowing where you’re headed, and where you would like to be, is key. You may not always end up exactly where you had initially intended, but at least you have an initial sense of what it is that you would clearly like to achieve and how you may go about doing so.
- Begin. The surest way to get the ball rolling is to take the first step. Before you know it, you would have gained momentum simply by getting in action.
- Pace yourself. Remember that most journeys are more often like a marathon, not a sprint, so it imperative that you are patient with yourself.
- Refine. Just because you began with a particular process in mind, this does not mean that there will not be room for refinement. Check in with yourself to see what is working and what isn’t and make adjustments where needed.
- Celebrate your mini-achievements! Set aside some time along the journey for celebrating your small-wins. Whether you take yourself out for one of your favourite meals, or you toast yourself with a loved one home, how you choose to celebrate is up to you. The key is to do something which marks your mini-accomplishment, so that you can signal to yourself that you are indeed progressing, which should motivate you to keep going.
So JUST START and remember to celebrate ALL of your small wins that will lead towards your ultimate dream goal!!