Comments on: A Lesson From the Peace Corps: Celebrating Small Victories

By: Ryan Stephens Marketing » Top 10 Gen Y Blogs: August 2009

Ryan Stephens Marketing » Top 10 Gen Y Blogs: August 2009 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:31:20 +0000

[...] Fridays. Not only does she keep us engaged and on our toes with gems like this one, but she’s tremendous at calling attention to members of her community (and not just on [...]

By: Grace Boyle

Grace Boyle — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:59:17 +0000

@Akhila You're so right. I was just really touched because each of the things Natalie has seen (on a small scale) many wouldn't realize as monumental, but they can be in the long run. I'm glad you enjoyed the post Hope all is well!

By: Akhila

Akhila — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:47:15 +0000

Hey! I completely love this post and agree with it, especially because it's true – whether it's in personal life or social change, it's important to keep in mind the larger goal…while also acknowledging the “small victories.” Honestly like Ryan said, when you're trying to be a better person, make a big life change, or even participate in a broader social movement of some sort — it's really important to congratulate yourself for even small things. I think these “small victories” too often get lost in the grand scheme of things, and we forget to appreciate the small things in life.

Love it!

By: Grace Boyle

Grace Boyle — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:59:17 +0000

By: Akhila

Akhila — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:47:15 +0000

Love it!

By: Grace Boyle

Grace Boyle — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:33:18 +0000

@Carlos Thank you! Often there are such large leaps we make in life, that it's hard to process and swallow all at once. The small victories make life manageable and also help us realize that the little pieces count…each and every one. Thanks for sharing and the kind words, Carlos!

By: Carlos Miceli

Carlos Miceli — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:19:59 +0000

Reading your blog is like water after a soccer game. Loved this.

Your friend Natalie is right. Small victories are what help us to get day by day, are small steps towards the big goal. Facing this huge move in my life, I focus on the little victories to give me strength. when you have to do SO many things to move to another country, it can get really tiring.

A little bit at a time, we can do whatever we want.

By: Grace Boyle

Grace Boyle — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:37:45 +0000

@Ryan I'm glad you liked it. I was really struck by the thought and hearing it from her perspective. I think we're really hard on ourselves and sometimes, the power comes from the little steps where all of a sudden it has been a year and you've actually made a lot of changes! We're also a society that is very much in need of immediate gratification, which makes it hard, just like your weight loss examples. Thanks for sharing and I'm going to check out the link from Chad!

By: ryanstephens

ryanstephens — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:32:16 +0000

I LOVE this because this is something I'm trying to be a lot more conscientious of lately. This reminds me of a great post I read last week from Chad Fowler on Tim Ferriss' blog entitled, "Are You Better Than Yesterday?"

I really appreciated his approach and mindset because it was essentially about trying a little bit harder and celebrating small victories. If I ate crappy yesterday, but have a salad for lunch today I've done a little bit better than yesterday. If you run just a few feet further or a few seconds faster you've improved. If you do that consistently, everyday just think about how much more fit you'll be.

I know most people who are overweight have trouble losing it because they work hard for a full week and don't notice ANY visible changes. This is when they give up, instead they should just ask themselves. Did they do better than yesterday? If they did, they should celebrate that fact and press onward!

Thanks for sharing this Grace!