Celebrating the big wins is always easy to me. You get the chair, win the audition, get the medal or trophy. You immediately physically and emotionally congratulate yourself. What about you playing one percent better than yesterday or five percent better than the last rep? Can you congratulate yourself for showing up consistently to practice? Can you pat yourself on the back when your tuning is slightly less sharp than five minutes ago? I struggle with these. It’s almost like I feel I don’t deserve a “good job Mel!” until I’ve attained some large goal.
I find that the journey toward a goal is more fun, and I become more aware of progress over time when I intentionally notice and celebrate the small wins. Big wins don’t happen every day. That is why we should be super excited about those more quiet moments of success. If you recognize your progress, you start seeing success patterns, and you’re better able to enjoy the process of learning when you can celebrate yourself and your work.
Cheers to the small wins my friends!