How simple breakthroughs can become your greatest asset in business—if you let them

When You Don’t Know Where to Start

I once found myself staring down at a bunch of notes I had made after a conversation with a client, and their situation seemed like a tangled mess—full of nuance and ambiguity. They needed some clear direction and had come to me for help. Every time I thought about this client, I froze. I told myself I’d brainstorm some solutions the next day. But the next day I’d say the same thing, over and over.

The one person I thought might help was out of the country. And I didn’t want to take a wild guess—this client was desperately seeking a solution and needed clarity, not empty input.

Then something strange happened. While making dinner, my mind wandered back to the problem—and all at once, it clicked. The root issue came to me, and I quickly jotted down some notes before my thoughts vanished. And that one moment—that one small win—broke the mental block that had been holding me back.

Not just because it solved the problem, but because it broke the freeze. It gave me traction. Suddenly, the whole project became not just manageable—but mine.

That’s the power of small wins.

Why Small Wins Matter More Than You Think

In business, we often fixate on the big milestones: product launches, sales targets, investor pitches. But the thing that keeps us going long-term isn’t the big wins. It’s the little steps—and the way our brains light up when we make progress.

Small wins are:

• A moment of clarity in the fog
• A task you’ve been dreading that finally gets done
• A “yes” from someone you weren’t sure would respond
• A mental shift that opens a door to action

These are more than just symbolic moments. They’re psychological proof that you’re moving forward.

In fact, recent research shared by Forbes highlights how small wins create forward momentum by generating clarity, confidence, and consistency—making them essential, not optional, for meaningful progress.

The Science Behind Why They Work

Here’s what’s really happening behind the scenes:

• Motivation = Perceived Progress + Reward Feedback

  Your brain craves evidence that your efforts are working. Small wins give you just enough progress—paired with a tiny reward—to re-engage your focus and effort.
• Confidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build

  Confidence is the belief in your own ability to succeed. And your self-belief is shaped by experience. Small wins are experience and are how you prove to yourself that you can figure things out—even if slowly, even if imperfectly.
• Humans learn through feedback loops

  Every small win triggers a loop: “I took action → I got a result.” That loop makes it easier to act again, and the loop becomes self-sustaining. Without the loop, your brain registers risk, not reward—and you stall.

I used to see the celebration of small wins as blind optimism or an empty tactic people talked about. But that’s not it at all. Human brains are wired to keep going if they feel they are succeeding at something, and not just in business.

As Psychology Today recently explained, acknowledging even small steps builds self-trust and emotional stamina—fueling the kind of long-term momentum every entrepreneur needs.

It’s how humans are designed.

Small Wins in the Startup Journey

If you’re a first-time entrepreneur, especially someone starting a profession that is new to them, business building can feel like learning a new language with no translation tools.

Here’s where small wins show up in that journey:

• You map out your values and realize your business can be both mission-driven and sustainable→WIN
• You set a 15-minute timer and finally start the grant application→WIN
• You complete one lesson of a course you are taking—and it changes how you think about the subject matter→ WIN
• You send a cold outreach message, and someone replies with encouragement→ WIN

None of those things will go viral on TikTok. But they are lifelines—and they are how momentum begins.

How to Build a “Small Wins” Habit

1. Define what progress looks like for you

   A win isn’t just finishing something. It can be about understanding something, starting something, reframing something, or planning something. Get specific about your meaning of progress.
2. Track your traction

   Use a journal, whiteboard, sticky notes—whatever works. When your brain sees proof of progress, it softens resistance.
3. Celebrate on purpose

   Whether it’s a mental high-five or a quiet “that was helpful” comment to yourself, acknowledging the win completes the loop. You don’t need confetti—you need to be conscious.
4. Revisit wins when you're stuck

   Feeling discouraged? Go back and re-read your list of past wins. Let it remind you of what you’ve already figured out and are capable of.

Progress Isn’t Always Loud

In that moment when I had my breakthrough while cooking, it didn’t look like much. No champagne, no drum beat, and no cheerleaders.

But emotionally? It was massive.

It changed my posture toward the problem. It helped me find an angle that I could build off of. And from there, the project got way easier.

Here’s the takeaway:

Recognize and lean into the quiet power of small wins. Not as a mere nudge of encouragement, but as the driving force fuel that keeps you making progress.

Let’s Build Your Next Small Win—Together

If you’re ready to take meaningful steps in your business journey—without the overwhelm—Ready Set Grow is here to guide you.

Our training is about more than just strategy and numbers. It’s about helping you build the mindset, confidence, and momentum to move forward—one intentional win at a time.

👉 Explore Module 1: Entrepreneurial Fitness, and take the first step toward clarity, confidence, and your next breakthrough.