In life, there are always little moments which should be celebrated.

What does it mean to celebrate a little win? For me, it means finding joy in the small things and allowing myself to enjoy the process as much as possible.

So, getting a good mark on an assignment that was challenging or making it through a hectic day with a positive attitude are a couple of examples of the little things which I like to celebrate and congratulate myself for.

Pat on the back

In anything you do, there will be setbacks and victories along the way. As much as we grieve the disappointments and setbacks in life, we should also be celebrating the victories.

Most people I know have a bad habit of beating themselves up over misfortunes and not giving themselves the pat on the back that they deserve. I have also been guilty of this, but since I’ve learned to celebrate the little wins, the losses haven’t seemed as bad as before.

“Keep a note of what happens to you in the run of a day so you don’t downplay all the amazing things you accomplish.”

As students, we often feel so much internal and external pressure to be perfect that when we succeed, we don’t acknowledge it as much as we should because we feel like excelling should be the norm.

This creates a toxic mindset wherein we have a hard time living up to our own expectations. Celebrating the little wins gives me motivation and allows me to not be so hard on myself.

Recognize your accomplishments — big and small

It can be hard to recognize little wins.

In order to not let them slip you by, it’s a good idea to keep a note of what happens to you in the run of a day so you don’t downplay all the amazing things you accomplish.

I like to keep a note in my phone — especially if I’m having a hard day or week — and put an emoji next to all of my wins and losses to record how it made me feel.

I’ve made a habit of this so that, even if I feel super run down at the end of the day, I can look back and see that it wasn’t so bad after all. My favourite ways to celebrate the little things are to buy myself a donut, light a candle and relax a little or go for a drive with a friend.

Balanced mindset

When you get into a mindset that allows you to celebrate all the little joys, you will find that you are less hard on yourself about the setbacks. Positivity is something that has to be practised, because for many of us the sad reality is that it doesn’t come naturally.

Little rewards for little wins is a small way to ensure you stay positive and boost confidence in your abilities.