SMALL WINS!
It is so easy for us to focus on the big goals like running a marathon or quitting our day job and starting a whole new career, right? But really it’s the small wins we have every day that we tend to overlook that add up to the big stuff. We don’t take the time to recognize those little wins each day that work as stepping stones to help us reach our bigger goals. Small wins are anything that you complete that is directly related to your desired outcome. Setting up these tiny daily wins can do wonders for your emotional wellbeing. These little wins can be personal, professional, or both. Writing down these tiny wins daily may help you to recognize just how important they are. You may recognize Rebecca, one of Fuel’s amazing Cycle instructors. Here is her take on small wins…
I love spin. I love the loud music, the intensity of the ride, and the energy of a room filled with people moving together. When I was offered the opportunity to train to become a Fuel spin instructor I was so excited, the kind of uncomfortable excitement that bubbles up when you want to do something but you’re almost too nervous to try but you know in your heart of hearts it’s the right path. With that excitement came a flurry of questions – Am I too old to do this? What if I’m horrible? Can I spin and talk at the same time? I loved the idea of being an instructor. I wanted to be an instructor. I was also super nervous about being up on that front bike with all eyes on me. Like shaky hands, sweaty palms, shallow breathing, butterflies in my stomach kind of nervous. But I knew I wanted to try. So I did.
My first few attempts at practice runs in front of my Fuel coworkers were shaky. Even putting on the microphone headset in the beginning I felt like an imposter. My mind would get racing, my voice would trail off. I was letting my fear of not being successful and the worry of things not being perfect take over my body. I took all the constructive feedback from my coworkers and I kept practicing. I kept envisioning how I wanted my energy to be during a class. I would listen to my songs over and over and over. I listened in the car, in the shower, while I was making dinner. I would practice saying my cues out loud to the music. My family thought I was nuts and there was a fair amount of eye-rolling and joking comments about how I was ‘working on my playlist’. The repetition and the practice gave me confidence that even if I was nervous up in front of the class at least I knew my music and I had an idea of what I wanted to say. I started riding up front with Jessie while she taught. And over months that progressed to me teaching a couple of songs. Eventually, I was nudged out of the nest as I was deemed ready to teach my own classes. The nerves of being in front of a class were starting to ease. My post-class mindset had shifted from feeling relieved that class was over and analyzing any mistakes to feel really good and making mental notes of things I could do differently next time.
Confidence came with doing. Continuing to show up and get on the bike in front of people and work through the discomfort of being in a new and vulnerable situation was an important process. Also, a key piece of the puzzle for me was letting go of the notion that everything has to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be perfect. What it does need to be is authentic, fun, and energetic. That I can do.
Every step in my spin journey was a little win. I’m so happy I pushed through that sticky point of self-doubt and didn’t listen to the questioning voices in my head. Wishing you the best on your current journey or perhaps a new endeavor you’re about to jump into. Go get there, one win at a time.
“Celebrating the small wins is a great way to build confidence and
start feeling better about yourself.”
― Abhishek Ratna
