How Small Wins Lead to Big Success
A Proven Strategy for Leaders
Everyone wants a breakthrough.
But very few people build one.
Why?
They’re too busy chasing the big win.
And ignoring the daily progress that actually gets them there.
Success isn’t loud. It’s quiet, boring, and consistent.
We think success comes from:
The viral moment
The massive launch
The record-breaking attendance
But real success?
It comes from:
The daily reps
The overlooked details
The discipline to do it when it’s not exciting
Small wins build big momentum.
You just have to keep going long enough to see the payoff.
What counts as a “small win”?
Small wins are tiny forward movements.
They don’t look impressive on paper.
But over time, they shift everything.
Here are a few examples:
Writing 300 words a day
Posting content 5x a week
Talking to 1 new guest every Sunday
Reaching out to 1 mentor per month
Walking 10 minutes after dinner
Tiny actions.
Low effort.
But if you stack them?
They lead to transformation.
Why small wins work (and why you need more of them)
You don’t need more motivation.
You need more momentum.
Small wins create it.
Here’s how:
1. They rewire your brain
Every time you make progress, you trigger dopamine.
This is the chemical behind motivation and momentum.
Dopamine says:
“That felt good. Do it again.”
The more wins you stack, the more energy you gain.
2. They build identity
You’re not just checking boxes.
You’re becoming someone new.
Read every day? You become a reader.
Serve every week? You become a contributor.
Lead consistently? You become a leader.
You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
And small wins are systems.
3. They make big goals manageable
Big goals feel overwhelming.
Small wins shrink them.
Want to write a book?
Write one page a day.
In a year, you’ll have 365 pages.
Want to grow your church?
Have one intentional conversation per Sunday.
In a year, that’s 52 deep connections.
You don’t need more time. You need more consistency.
Most people quit too early.
They do the work.
But only for a week.
Or a month.
Maybe two.
Then they say:
“It’s not working.”
And walk away.
But success doesn’t happen in the early stages.
It happens in the boring middle.
When nobody’s watching. And the results haven’t shown up yet.
If you quit then,
you never give your small wins time to compound.
How to make small wins work for you
You don’t need more ambition.
You need more structure.
Here’s a 5-step system to make small wins part of your rhythm.
Step 1: Get clear on the goal
Clarity creates focus.
What are you really trying to build?
A healthier body?
A more engaged congregation?
A stronger online presence?
Choose one.
Don’t chase five things at once.
Step 2: Break it down
Once the goal is clear, break it into pieces.
Smaller than you think.
Examples:
Goal: “I want to write a book.”
Micro-win: “Write 300 words per day.”
Goal: “I want to grow my church.”
Micro-win: “Meet one new person each Sunday.”
Goal: “I want to be a better leader.”
Micro-win: “Reflect on one lesson each night.”
If it feels too easy, you’re doing it right.
Easy wins are sustainable. Hard wins are abandoned.
Step 3: Track it
What you track improves.
What you ignore dies.
Use a journal.
Use a spreadsheet.
Use a habit app.
Just see your streak.
Because humans love progress.
Even tiny progress.
Step 4: Celebrate early and often
Don’t wait until the end.
Celebrate now.
Why?
Because celebration creates reinforcement.
You’re telling your brain:
“This matters. Let’s do more of it.”
Examples:
Text a friend when you hit your weekly goal
Post your streak publicly
Say out loud, “I’m proud of today’s effort.”
It may sound cheesy.
But it works.
Step 5: Don’t stop
The only real rule?
Keep going.
Don’t stop because it’s slow.
Don’t stop because you’re bored.
Don’t stop because it’s not viral.
Small wins only compound if you keep showing up.
This is how leaders are built
Most great leaders aren’t more talented.
They’re just more consistent.
They embraced:
The daily grind
The quiet faithfulness
The invisible discipline
They said “yes” to small wins
long before anyone noticed.
3 Stories That Prove This Works
1. British Cycling Team
They were mediocre.
Until Coach Dave Brailsford introduced “marginal gains.”
Every day, the team improved by just 1%.
Better pillows. Cleaner hand washing. Smarter bike seats.
Small changes. Big results.
In 10 years, they won 16 Olympic gold medals and 5 Tour de France titles.
Small wins stacked = historic success.
2. James Clear
Before he became a bestselling author, he was just a blogger.
He wrote 2 blog posts per week for years.
Not viral. Not fancy.
Just consistent.
Those small writing reps?
They became Atomic Habits.
A book that sold over 10 million copies.
3. The Pastor Who Grew One Family at a Time
He stopped trying to attract hundreds.
He focused on meeting one new family per month.
He invited them to coffee.
Listened to their story.
Connected them with a leader.
Five years later?
His church tripled.
Not from hype. From steady hospitality.
Progress isn’t found. It’s built.
You’re one small win away from momentum.
And one week of momentum away from a breakthrough.
But none of it happens if you quit early.
So do the work.
Track the progress.
Celebrate the streak.
And above all:
Keep going.
See you next Saturday!
Eric V Hampton
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
Pew Patterns. My new book helps leaders like you make sense of the shifting spiritual landscape and build churches where people don’t just attend… they belong.
The Healthy Church Leader Annual Review. My annual review guides you from celebration (remembering past wins) to expectation (planning future wins) as you pursue your Christ-centered mission.
The Real MVP. I wrote and designed this book to invest in your leadership. Become a person of mission, vision, and purpose in 60 minutes.