Extension Logo
Extension Logo
University of Minnesota Extension
extension.umn.edu

Celebrate the small stuff

Two for you — take two minutes to live and lead with intention

Episode 4.1

Our brains are wired to respond to rewards. Celebrating the completion of small accomplishments leads to the completion of larger goals. According to research by Teresa Amabile from Harvard Business School, people who tracked their small achievements every day enhanced their motivation.

The simple practice of recording your progress helps you to appreciate your small wins which in turn boosts your sense of confidence. Why? Any accomplishment, no matter how small, releases the neurotransmitter dopamine which boosts your mood, motivation and attention. It also signals you to keep doing the activity again and again.

What can you celebrate today?

Resources

Transcript

Note: Two for You written transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before referencing content in print.

[Lori] Hello and welcome to Two for You. So you may know that one of the elements of well-being in the PERMA model is A or accomplishment and so this month we're going to talk about celebrating and celebrating our accomplishment.

[Denise] The positive psychology research has shown that celebrating the small wins, the small accomplishments, and more frequently has a bigger impact than waiting for that one big thing to celebrate. It keeps you engaged. It helps you to remember that you're on a path that's working and you feel good when you get a chance to celebrate the small thing.

[Lori] Yeah, so when is last time you did that.  When's the last time you took the time to notice the small things that you have done well and the thing people around you have done well today. So this month practice practice the small accomplishments as you live and lead with intention

Authors: Lori Rothstein and Denise Stromme, former Extension educators

Page survey

© 2024 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.