Celebrate the Small Victories

I saw this recently in Men’s Health, and really liked it.  It further resonated with me because of a recent conversation I had with one of my daughters.

A nutritionist and author offered “life” tips that were not necessarily limited to nutrition, including the title of this post.  His grandfather used to say, “Life is full of challenges, and when something good happens, you should pause to enjoy it.”  His grandfather’s advice reminds him to celebrate the small victories that lead to larger ones.

While I believe it’s important to keep your eye on the big picture, it’s equally important to remember that it’s the day-to-day, step-by-step successes that enable the big victory.  Ultimately, there are no big victories without practice, preparation, and a fair amount of small victories.  Take a moment to appreciate and enjoy the smaller accomplishments, along the way.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller

Just a few years ago, my youngest daughter was a basketball player on our local high school team.  She was fortunate to play on a team that earned and experienced a good deal of success during her playing days.  She and her teammates were focused on achieving goals like winning a conference and district championship.  In talking with her over the years (and before I ever saw the Men’s Health piece), I encouraged her to take a moment after each victory and reflect upon how special that particular moment was.  I didn’t necessarily want her to spend a lot of time dwelling on what soon became the past (good or bad), I just wanted her to absorb, cherish, and learn from the moment because I know how fleeting success can be — and I certainly know how quickly time passes.  I also know that, sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the “end justifies the means” mentality.  Championships may or may not happen, but you can’t always let that define your season.  Additionally, although the core of her team played together for three years, there was no guarantee that they would replicate the success of any given season.

Take a moment to savor your daily accomplishments, no matter how small they seem.  Develop an appreciation of the small victories and their cumulative effect on your larger victories and accomplishments.

“We may never pass this way again.” – Seals and Crofts

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

Celebrate the Small Victories

I saw this recently in Men’s Health, and really liked it.  It further resonated with me because of a recent conversation I had with one of my daughters.

A nutritionist and author offered “life” tips that were not necessarily limited to nutrition, including the title of this post.  His grandfather used to say, “Life is full of challenges, and when something good happens, you should pause to enjoy it.”  His grandfather’s advice reminds him to celebrate the small victories that lead up to larger ones.

While I believe it’s important to keep your eye on the big picture, it’s equally important to remember that it’s the day-to-day, step-by-step successes that enable the big victory.  Ultimately, there are no big victories without practice, preparation, and a fair amount of small victories.  Take a moment to appreciate and enjoy the smaller accomplishments, along the way.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller

My youngest daughter is a sophomore basketball player on our local high school team.  She is fortunate to play on a team that is midway through a very successful season.  She and her teammates are focused on achieving goals like winning a conference and district championship.  In talking with her a few weeks ago (and before I ever saw the Men’s Health piece), I encouraged her to take a moment after each victory and reflect upon how special this season is.  I don’t necessarily want her to spend a lot of time dwelling on what will soon become the past (good or bad), I just want her to absorb, cherish, and learn from the moment because I know how fleeting success can be — and I certainly know how quickly time passes.  I also know that, sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the “end justifies the means” mentality.  Championships may or may not happen, but you can’t always let that define your season.  Additionally, although the core of her team will return next season, there’s no guarantee that they will replicate the success of their current season.

Take a moment to savor your daily accomplishments, no matter how small they seem.  Develop an appreciation of the small victories and their cumulative effect on your larger victories and accomplishments.

“We may never pass this way again.” – Seals and Crofts

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?