How Small Progress Leads to Massive Transformation
The power of progress is a fundamental part of human nature. Regardless of your unique interests and lifestyle, we are all chasing fulfillment in our daily lives. Humans are naturally creative, innovative and inventive, which is why the world around us on a micro and macro scale is always changing.
Our biological reward systems alert us when we are optimising our true potential and overcoming obstacles. Although we all strive to become better each day, it’s also far too easy to give up at the first sign of doubt, failure or inability. What if a simple shift of perspective could help you stick to your goals and stay consistent without letting fear discourage you?
This is where the science of small wins comes in to help you.
If you know anything about my coaching style, you’ll pick up on my dedication to small progress over unsustainable routines. I teach all of my clients how to unlearn their previous expectations around health and fitness because this is what holds so many people back from starting in the first place.
When you build up this image in your mind of looking and feeling your best, you might imagine crash dieting and working out seven days in the gym for two months. Although you may see results, you probably won’t stick to these routines short or long-term.
In this case, when the bar is set at 100 and you only reach 1, you immediately tell your nervous system that you failed. When the bar is set at 1, and you reach 1, you feel motivated to keep going because you reached your achievement benchmark. This is the exact reason why baby steps create a winning strategy that helps you stay motivated even on your challenging days.
When we become adults, there is no longer anyone supervising us and making sure we do the things we say we are going to do. Self-confidence is created by keeping the promises you make to yourself, so you can see how this all unravels into self-esteem issues, lack of self-trust, and demotivation when you don’t show up.
The rise of technology has allowed us to further set our nervous systems into a state of go, go, go, and before you know it, months have gone by where you lived completely without structure. Unless there is self-directed plasticity, most adults do not implement change into their lives.
All of that being said, there is a way to hack your motivation and discipline, and it all starts with setting small, attainable goals. Everyone has a big vision for their lives, and we actually get a dopamine hit by daydreaming about where we’ll end up at the finish line.
For example, if you want to get healthier, you might dream of waking up confident, pain-free and energised. Maybe you think of how good you’ll look in that outfit or how amazing you’ll feel when you put a bathing suit on. You get yourself so exhilarated about your new transformation, but after the first week, you are ready to give up and revert to old habits.
If you want to get from A to Z, you have to be honest with your starting point. If you find out where you can start, you can succeed at an exponential rate. This means you may start with a small goal, like going on a daily walk for thirty minutes after dinner, instead of committing to 5 strength training workouts a week.
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If you currently have minimal movement in your days, which one is most attainable for you?
Finding your starting point can be a humbling experience because it takes a great deal of self-honesty. Sure, we all want to challenge ourselves and do hard things. However, you need to start with something that's just outside of your comfort zone but entirely within your scope of accomplishment. As you stay consistent, you will continue to push the needle forward and maximise your potential.
When you are building a house, the foundation comes first. Every brick has to be individually laid over time to create the final result. Remember this analogy when you are working on your movement and wellness practices. A huge pillar of my work in the MAPS system is Movement Snacks, which are small bite-sized movements that take anywhere from 5 - 10 minutes a day. I built the idea for Movement Snacks around the science of small wins.
Many people feel like 10 minutes a day is not enough to see results; however, they forget to consider how much 10 minutes a day adds up when you stay consistent. Every time you complete a Movement Snack, you keep your nervous system calm while signaling to your Dopaminergic system that you achieved a daily goal.
On a neurochemical level, this increases your chances of sticking to this small but actionable routine. Once you succeed with 10 minutes a day, you might move to 20 minutes. Over time, this continues to grow alongside your strength, endurance and mobility.
Since we are talking a lot about the science of small wins, I want to touch deeper on the importance of this strategy on a hormonal level.
Testosterone and estrogen are present in both men and women to varying degrees. Each of these hormones is secreted when the dopamine system is activated, and each is vitally important for motivational biology.
When we achieve wins repeatedly, testosterone is the molecule that accesses cells and controls their gene expression. The more we win our small goals, the more benefits our body experiences on cellular and biological levels. Research shows that repeated failures take testosterone levels lower than equilibrium. That being said, one of the quickest ways to boost your testosterone is to achieve a win. The true science behind small wins sets you up for success not only mentally but also physically.
You will notice that it becomes easier to stick to your healthy routines because your goals are less overwhelming, and you are activating the dopamine and motivational systems along the way.
If you want to create lasting change in your life that sticks with you forever instead of only for a few months, start small and trust the process. Pick out a few movement snacks that you can do every day and choose what time of day you will prioritise them. Instead of letting your mind rule your day, just commit to accomplishing that movement just like anything else on your to-do list.
When we overthink, we talk ourselves out of taking action. Remember, don’t think; just do. Taking baby steps can help you build confidence in yourself while allowing you to reach your goals from a state of ease.
Whenever you begin to dream about your goals for the future, I encourage you to implement this advice from the science of small wins. Start with one small action that will push you forward, and stay committed to that.
