We often enjoy celebrating the big wins in our lives, but when was the last time you celebrated a small win? When we don’t stop to celebrate the small daily successes, we miss out on an opportunity to boost our confidence and increase our motivation. These powerful quotes about small wins will act as a reminder to see the success in every day.
What is a small win?
A small win is any act that brings you 1% closer to your goals. It could be something as simple as making your bed in the morning, drinking enough water in a day, or even switching the TV off 20 minutes earlier than usual.
Although these actions might not seem notable, they can quickly add up and have a positive effect on your quality of life. If we focus too much on the big goals, it can feel like we’ll never get there. Celebrating the small wins ensures we will stay motivated on our journey towards creating better habits for ourselves.
Focusing on small wins means focusing on small, consistent actions, and acknowledging that progress, however small, is a move in the right direction. Beating yourself up only damages your confidence and self esteem. Try celebrating the small wins instead, and learn to talk to yourself in a supportive way.
Quotes about small wins
Here is a selection of the most motivating quotes about small wins. Use these quotes for a boost when you need it most.
- “Success is the sum of small efforts – repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier
- “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh
- “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
- “From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow.” – Aeschylus
- “We all have to start somewhere, and doing something is better than nothing at all. Start small so you don’t get discouraged and give up. Remember it is all about consistency.” – Khloe Kardashian
- “I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” – Helen Keller
- “While it may seem small, the ripple effects of small things is extraordinary. – Matt Bevin
- “Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.” – Peter Marshall
- “Greatness comes by doing a few small and smart things each and every day. Comes from taking little steps, consistently. Comes from a making a few small chips against everything in your professional and personal life that is ordinary, so that a day eventually arrives when all that’s left is The Extraordinary.” – Robin S. Sharma
- “But words are things, and a small drop of ink, Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” – Lord Byron
Quotes about small victories
- “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” – George Eliot
- “Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one’s voice.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin
- “Notice the small things. The rewards are inversely proportional.” – Liz Vassey
- “Make it your habit not to be critical about small things.Edward Everett Hale
- “A very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of love.” – Stendhal
- “In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves… self-discipline with all of them came first.” – Harry S Truman
- “Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.” – Louis L’Amour
- “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while… you don’t do things right once in a while… you do them right all the time. Winning is habit.” – Vince Lombardi
- “Winning and losing isn’t everything; sometimes, the journey is just as important as the outcome.” – Alex Morgan
- “If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito.” – Anita Roddick
Quotes about progress
- “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.” – Barack Obama
- “I think a simple rule of business is, if you do the things that are easier first, then you can actually make a lot of progress.” – Mark Zuckerberg
- “There is progress whether ye are going forward or backward! The thing is to move!” – Edgar Cayce
- “True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.” – Saint Francis de Sales
- “Success is steady progress toward one’s personal goals.” – Jim Rohn
- “Things aren’t always easy, but you just have to keep going and don’t let the small stuff bog you down.” – Stella Maeve
- “Some days, 24 hours is too much to stay put in, so I take the day hour by hour, moment by moment. I break the task, the challenge, the fear into small, bite-size pieces. I can handle a piece of fear, depression, anger, pain, sadness, loneliness, illness. ” – Regina Brett
- “Even the largest avalanche is triggered by small things.” – Vernor Vinge
- “It’s a long journey to become successful, and you learn to grow with it. You grow with the small steps you take.” – Benson Henderson
- “Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Quotes about keeping going
- “Believe in yourself, take on your challenges, dig deep within yourself to conquer fears. Never let anyone bring you down. You got to keep going.” – Chantal Sutherland
- “Always believe in yourself and keep going. You don’t have to have the most talent in the world. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the world. If you persist and you persist and you persist, you will be successful.” – Dean Cain
- “You learn to rise above a lot of bad things that happen in your life. And you have to keep going.” – Lauren Bacall
- “That’s what is incredible about human beings, is the choice to keep going.” – Jack Antonoff
- ““Acknowledge all of your small victories. They will eventually add up to something great.” ― Kara Goucher
- ““It’s the small wins on the long journey that we need in order to keep our confidence, joy and motivation alive.” ― Brendon Burchard
- “Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.” – Jack Ma
- “Never give up on your dreams, no matter how painful and difficult your journey is. – Lisa
- “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan
- “You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Prepare to be alone at times, and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs all you can give.” – E. O. Wilson
Quotes about the importance of small wins
- “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
- “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
- “I always think about the small details because I need to improve more and more.” – Mohamed Salah
- “It is the still, small voice that the soul heeds, not the deafening blasts of doom.” – William Dean Howells
- “Success is a collection of small victories & disappointing setbacks. Understand the process, stay positive, & focus on the fundamentals.” ― Bradford Winters
- “Track your small wins to motivate your big accomplishments.” ― Teresa Amabile
- “Enjoy the journey and try to get better every day. And don’t lose the passion and the love for what you do.” – Nadia Comaneci
- “I’m not perfect; I make mistakes all the time. All I can do is to try my best to learn from my mistakes, take responsibility for them, and do a better job tomorrow.” – Lana
- “Just try new things. Don’t be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar, all right?” – Michelle Obama
- “A lot of things are going to happen that you can’t necessarily control all the time, but you can control what you do after it happens. So that’s what I try to do, keep my head up, keep moving forward, stay positive and just work hard.” – Lonzo Ball
How to start celebrating small wins
Hopefully you’re now feeling inspired after reading these quotes about small wins. But now what? How do you actually go about celebrating your small wins on a daily basis? Here are a few ideas that you can begin to implement right away:
- Get clear on your goals so you know the progress you’re making. It can be difficult to identify your small wins if you’re not too sure what you’re working towards. Make a list of your goals and what small wins might look like in each area. Not too sure how to set goals? Here are 10 areas of life you can focus on.
- Journal about your small wins. If you like to journal before you go to bed, you can reflect on the day and make a note of your small wins. What did you do well? What is worthy of celebrating? This will help you end your day on a positive note.
- Create a reflective practice with a loved one. Find a friend who you can call or text on a daily basis to reflect on your small wins. You can also offer them support as they tell you about their progress.
- Begin a bullet journal practice. Bullet journaling is a creative and fun way to keep track of your achievements. There are many different bullet journal spreads to choose from, and you can incorporate this into setting weekly goals.
Final thoughts
Quotes about small wins have the power to inspire, encourage, and motivate us when we need it most. If you find yourself giving up on your goals because they seem too big, focusing on the small things is an excellent way to still make progress.
Reflect on these quotes about small wins often, and consider writing down your favorite ones for future reference. Small wins matter more than you think, and have the power to completely overhaul your mindset. How will you begin celebrating your small wins? Let us know in the comments below.