Why recording mini wins is the path to success!

Sometimes it feels like we are trying to swim in treacle. It all seems too difficult and it feels like we don't have the energy to get through the week. 

In this article I talk about one of the methods that keep me going, keep me happy and keeps me appreciative and persistant.

Read for yourself and see if this technique can help you find balance in your day to day life.

The advice is very simple- I write down my mini wins over the day. It might be just one. When i am feeling like I am in a bit of a dip, and making no progress, I look back over my mini wins for a booster!

You can download a template to help you keep track of your min wins and we are also giving a way a little book called "The Path of the Doer" below.

What I mean by mini wins  is acknowledging, perhaps just writing down, the smallest things in a day that help me on my way - the little things that fall in my favour.

This spun from something that my wife and I have always done as a joke; if something good happened we'd be like: "Yay! Mini win!"

That was in the family and it’s drifted into my work life. It's all about recognising the good stuff that happens while giving less energy to anything that's bad or negative.

It's very basic, it's blunt, and it's not rocket science. But it helps keep things positive.

This really helps in those times when you lack motivation or you feel like you are getting no where.

Make it easy so that it becomes habit

To get into thie habit you have to make it easy on your self. Use a journal, stick it in your calendar or maybe a spreadsheet?

I used to use a spreadsheet to keep track. Each day of the week over the year has a space to write a few mini wins. When I then look back over them i can see how much progression i have made. This makes me think anything is possible!

You can download my template here.

Then I started to use a note taking app on my phone; Evernote. At the start of each week I've set up a reminder  where I list my mini wins. By the end of the week I get a massive list. When I’m reading it I say to myself, "Wow, I really made some progress."

The alternative is not writing the mini wins down- and not recieving that little confidence boost when i need it. 

Seeing the bigger, brighter picture

My take-home-tip on this is to celebrate your mini wins. Have a mobile document or even scribble it down somewhere handwritten. The mini wins may not seem like much when viewed on their own, but when you look at them over the week, and then the month (imagine what a year would look like) you really feel like you're making progress and that's a nice positive feedback loop.

If you’d like to give it a go, sign up to my recipe on IFTTT. This will send a note to your Evernote every Monday to fill in.

To help you on your way why not get one of our free books: The Path of Doer. Your guide to getting things done!

Want to see someone with way more credibility talk about this issue?!

Navy Seal Admiral shares his reasons to make his bed everyday: The first mini win of the day!