Hey there, MVTF! We are preparing for this season with fire in our eyes and goals in our hearts! We all have lots of goals to keep us motivated as athletes and as students. You might have long-term goals like shaving precious seconds off your 1600m time and breaking five or six, nailing your AP tests this Spring, being ready to really bring it at the Three Course Challenge in September, or just staying on top of your game in school and on the track this season. Your drive is inspiring and, if we’re being honest, a little intimidating (in the best way possible!). Keep it up! But let’s talk about something that can trip up even the best of us: how we define success.

Maybe your version of success looks like crossing the finish line of a race with a new personal record or seeing a top score on your latest AP exam. That’s great! But here’s the catch: when we only let ourselves feel accomplished at the finish line, we’re setting ourselves up for frustration. Staying focused on a cross-country race six months in the future or an exam that is months away is hard when there are so many day-to-day distractions, frustrations, challenges, and disappointments. Life, much like running 12x400m repeats, is about the process, not just the final lap. What is the secret to staying motivated and feeling good about yourself while pursuing difficult, long-term goals? Celebrate the little wins along the way.

Let’s break it down.

Why Celebrate the Small Wins?

Small wins—or “Micro Victories”—are little moments of progress on the road to our big goals. They’re the extra seconds you shaved off your mile pace in practice, the time you solved a tricky problem in AP Physics without giving up, or the day you finally nailed your meal prep for a busy week. These aren’t just random moments; these little victories are evidence that you are moving forward towards your goals. Science even backs this up: recognizing small wins can boost your confidence, keep you motivated, and make the journey to your goals more rewarding (see for example https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/ijecol3&div=11&id=&page=&utm_source=Four+Thousand+Mondays&utm_campaign=d87faa1796-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_09_30_09_22_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7c3de2b4ec-d87faa1796-578297535)

Real-Life Micro Victories

Here are a few examples of what Micro Victories might look like for a student-athlete like you:

Monday:

  • Hit every interval in practice within your goal pace range.
  • Learned a better way to stretch my calves.
  • Stayed awake during your AP Literature discussion on Macbeth.
  • Made it to Coach Flatow’s CharacterLab session.
  • Chose to go to bed early instead of watching another episode of Hospital Playlist on Netflix.

Tuesday:

  • Asked my coach for feedback on running form and tried out their tips.
  • Got through all my Calculus homework with help from a teammate.
  • Helped a teammate during a tough workout by encouraging them to keep going.
  • Helped my mom with dinner and learned to make Kimchi Chigae.

Wednesday:

  • Woke up early enough to eat breakfast before school.
  • Organized my notes for the upcoming History test—four days early!
  • Talked to one of the soccer players about joining track in the Spring and cross in the Fall.
  • Managed to recover mentally after a tough workout instead of dwelling on it.

Why They Matter

At first glance, these might seem like small or even obvious achievements, but that’s the point. By tuning into these moments, you remind yourself that progress happens daily. Think about helping your teammate get through a tough workout; if someone hopes to be a captain next year, learning how best to support their teammates is a big part of the preparation. It’s easy to get caught up in the big picture and forget all the little steps to get to that big goal, but Micro Victories remind you that you’re building something amazing—step by step, stride by stride.

How to Track Your Micro Victories

  • Keep a journal: Each day, write down one, two, or three small wins. Even if the day feels like a disaster, there’s always something good to find. Maybe you hydrated well during practice or raised your hand in class. Maybe you just learned NOT to try to get caught in some speedster’s vortex and to run your own pace! Something good happened today that helped you reach your goal!
  • Share them: Talk about your wins with a coach, teacher, parent, or teammate. They might even help you see the progress you didn’t notice yourself.
  • Reflect: At the end of each week, review your list. You’ll probably be surprised at how much you’ve accomplished.

Moral of the Story

Life gets tough, and the goals you’re chasing are no joke. But you don’t have to wait until you are holding a medal or an A+ paper to feel proud of yourself. Those little moments—the extra effort, the smarter choices, the perseverance—are what make you a champion in the long run. Celebrate them. Track them. Let them fuel you for the next step in your journey.

So, what’s one Micro Victory you’ve had this week? Write it down. Tell someone about it. Give yourself a high five. You’re out there putting in the work, and it’s paying off. Keep it up, my friend!

*****

Thank you to Jodi Wellman, author of You Only Die Once and one of my assistant instructors at UPenn, for allowing me to blatantly steal from her writing.