What If We Sweat The Small Stuff?

We’ve all heard the saying “don’t sweat the small stuff”.

It refers to letting go of those inconsequential things that might be bothering us or causing us stress. It’s good advice – it wouldn’t be a cliché otherwise.

But what about the “good” small stuff?

I was talking to a colleague earlier this week, and we were discussing a small milestone that he’d reached professionally. I congratulated him on his achievement, and, in classic Kiwi fashion, he downplayed it telling me that “the bar wasn’t set that high in the first place so it’s hardly a win”.

Small or not, my colleague had achieved something, and it was worth celebrating. Maybe not “buy-a-magnum-sized-bottle-of-Möet” worthy, but he could at least treat himself to a chocolate bar.

Unfortunately, what I’ve come to learn is that part of the human condition is to cling on to the negative small stuff like our life depends on it, and let the positive small stuff pass us by, or worse, we brush it under the carpet like it isn’t worth anything.

That’s actually the way we are wired, because at one point in time our life did depend on it.

Our brains haven’t entirely evolved from our caveman days and so we are still primed to look out for danger. We cling on to negatives because our brain perceives them as a threat to our life and wants to protect us from them.

I know, dramatic right? That’s the human brain for you.

And while it is supposedly “protecting” us from this danger, in the meantime it allows the wonderful things to go sliding right on by.

In addition to the actual science, I also have my own theory that we choose not to celebrate our small wins because we are too used to seeing monumental achievements seemingly occurring around us all the time. When we see our favourite sports team overcome adversity to win the championship that season, our personal best for a 5km run hardly seems worth noticing.

But it is.

It doesn’t matter what the size of the achievement is. If it’s something you’ve worked for, or a fear you’ve conquered, or a simple goal you set yourself for the day, celebrate it!

We live in such a fast-paced world where we are constantly striving for the next big thing. But those “big things” are usually very few and far between. So when an opportunity arises for us to pat ourselves on the back and recognise that we have achieved something, we ought to stop and smell the roses.

And it’s not just me saying that. Science agrees too.

Whether your achievement is part of a larger goal, or it’s something relatively small you set out to do, taking the time to reflect on it will positively impact you.

You don’t have to arrange your own ticker tape parade, and you don’t even have to tell anyone about your achievement. It’s not the external recognition that will make the difference (which is good because I know that for many of us acknowledging our achievements to out loud to others doesn’t come naturally). The key is to take the time to reflect internally before you move on to the next goal/job/task/moment.

When you recognise that the hard work you put in paid off, or that you are capable of achieving a goal, you are building your confidence and self-belief. Celebrating your achievement and soaking up the positive emotion that goes with it tells your brain that the effort you put in was worth it after all. Then, next time you strive to do something, or as you take the next small step towards your big goal, you’ll have solidified your self-belief that you can actually do the thing.

This means that when you take the time to celebrate the small wins and truly reflect on your achievement, you are genuinely rewiring your brain. How cool is that? Our brains might not have evolved all that far from our primitive days hunting and gathering, but we do have the power to change them, and for the better.

So, I’m not saying we all deserve a medal for brushing our teeth in the morning, but we also don’t have to wait until we sell our small business for half a billion dollars before we can enjoy our successes.

Every day we get to live this life we have a choice. We can choose to move from moment to moment without feeling, like a robot would, and chalk it up as “just another day”. Or we can live vibrantly, seeking out the small wins and the joyous moments in between that make life such a privilege.

What are you going to choose?

That’s all for now,

Jordyn

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely of places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl