The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

December 25Small Achievements

We need only look on the miracle of every day, to sate ourselves with thought and admiration every day. But how are our faculties sharpened to do it? Precisely by apprehending the infinite results of every day.

Margaret Fuller—Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845)

In the climb to meet our goals, months fade into years, and sometimes into decades and the little, everyday accomplishments go unmarked.

But here's a funny thing about many goals: they are like the horizon on a long, flat, stretch of prairie highway. As you drive toward the horizon, it moves heartlessly away from you at an equal speed.

So, it can feel as though you've made no progress at all even though you've worked tirelessly. Or worse, you can sense that others around you are making far more progress—and their social media posts can only serve to remind you of this disturbing fact.

What if you began to take stock of every gain, no matter how minor, and celebrated every win no matter how trifling? It's the accumulation of actions you take every day to get just a little better that eventually delivers you to your destination.

Consistently working on daily habits, acknowledging the big results in celebrating small things, is how you win. Turn around; look how far you've come.

There's certainly a place for one-, three-, and even five-year goals, but this is not a zero-sum game we are playing, and the ultimate goal is to find the miracle in every single day.

Make today magnificent. ...