Success cannot be achieved overnight; it typically results from years of consistent, incremental victories. While many aspire to success, they often overlook the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices that successful people have made to reach their goals.

Therefore, one should not expect success to come effortlessly while idly scrolling through social media or binge-watching shows.

To attain successful people's accomplishments, you must be willing to put in the same effort they did. A key insight is that improvement can begin with just a 1% increase over your previous self. Here are a few examples:

• Reading 20 pages daily will result in approximately 30 books read annually.
• Saving $10 daily accumulates to $3,650 in a year.
• Running 1 km per day totals 587 km over a year.
• Achieving a daily improvement of 1% can lead to being 37 times better within a year.

The transformation from inactivity to productivity does not occur overnight, nor should one expect it to; attempting such a drastic change often leads to a miserable failure.

People get bored quickly—how often have you been excited about building your muscles, joined a gym, trained for a few weeks, and then lost motivation? Or how frequently have you set out to learn a new skill only to abandon it shortly thereafter? Perhaps you intended to read a book or start a YouTube channel but never followed through.

These setbacks often arise from setting goals that are far beyond one’s current capabilities. For example, asking an experienced runner to run 8 kilometers daily would be manageable for them, but for someone unaccustomed to running, such a goal may lead to discouragement after just a few days because it exceeds their capabilities.

The Importance of Small Successes

The solution is to focus on small successes, which gradually become major achievements. Consistent daily progress in your endeavors enhances motivation, productivity, and creativity.

Small victories provide substantial emotional encouragement and bolster intrinsic motivation, fostering creativity. Research indicates that witnessing progress in one’s work instills a sense of satisfaction and encourages further creative efforts.

Instead of fixating on monumental achievements such as closing a significant deal or gaining your first 1,000 clients, focus on celebrating small successes. While significant accomplishments require time and effort, small successes demand less of both and accumulate over time into larger achievements.

Do not be discouraged if your product launch does not yield $10,000 in monthly revenue; instead, celebrate the launch itself, as many never reach this milestone. Similarly, if you only read 15 books this year instead of 20, celebrate the act of reading itself—most people do not even begin.

Small successes lead to larger ones, ultimately culminating in excellence. This is the correct approach; there are no shortcuts. Neglecting small victories can create the illusion of stagnation, even when progress is being made.

Conclusion

Perseverance is essential for success. If your objective is to write a book, consider completing a chapter or receiving positive feedback from an editor as small successes.

However, halting at that point may prevent you from finishing the book. So, it is crucial to consistently set and achieve smaller goals until you reach your ultimate goal. It’s like a roadmap where small successes chart your path toward the ultimate goal.

As author John C. Maxwell said, “Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”

Therefore, don’t let anything stop you from pursuing your dreams. Define your ultimate goal, identify your small successes, and relish the journey toward achieving them.