04. Small Wins Create Big Results

In this episode, I’m talking about the power of small wins and why setting attainable goals creates bigger, more sustainable results—especially during busy seasons like the holidays and the end of the year.

I share why this time of year doesn’t need to be about perfection, restriction, or pressure, but about presence, kindness, and staying connected to yourself even when routines feel off. We talk about letting go of guilt around food, movement, rest, and productivity, and redefining what a “win” can look like in different seasons of life.

I also dive into why setting the bar too high can lead to burnout, avoidance, and feeling paralyzed—and how breaking goals down into smaller, realistic steps builds momentum, confidence, and consistency over time. From business growth and personal routines to relationships and healing, small wins compound into lasting change.

We explore how social media distorts our perception of success, why comparison steals joy, and how focusing on your own progress—rather than someone else’s highlight reel—allows you to move forward with clarity and intention.

 I share simple ways to apply small wins in everyday life: setting minimum goals, returning quickly after missed days, shrinking habits to what feels doable, tracking effort instead of outcomes, and ending each day by naming what went right.

As we move into the new year, this episode encourages you to take inventory without attacking yourself, recognize what actually worked this year, and build your goals from who you already are—not who you think you should be.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, behind, or hard on yourself right now, this episode is a reminder that progress doesn’t have to be extreme to be real—and that small, consistent choices are what truly move you forward.

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Transcript

0:01

You don't need a perfect moment to start living a healthier, happier life. Welcome to Hannah's Healthy Habits, a podcast about learning, growing, and building a healthier life from the inside out. And now we're doing it together. Hello everyone. I hope you all are having a great start to your week. If you're listening in real time, happy Monday. It is currently 6:00 PM on Sunday night, so the night before you're hearing this, so we're really getting a live version of the podcast today. I told myself last week that I was going to be really good about being on top of it, recording throughout the week, having it done early, so I'm not staying up until midnight. And here we are again at 6:00 PM on a Sunday, and I'm just starting, but you know what? It's okay. It's the holiday season. We're all busy, we're all trying to get things done, and this really ties in with our theme today of small wins, creating big results. I used to set the bar so high, way too high because I knew, yes, I could accomplish those goals, but whenever you set the bar that high, you're making it harder to make progress. I really wanna emphasize on this, especially going into Christmas week, this is typically a time when people start feeling like they're behind and life is getting busier. Your routines are getting thrown off. There's more events that you're going to, more food traveling. And I think there's a lot of pressure that we're supposed to handle it all perfectly, but that's simply not the case. The truth is the holidays are not the season for perfection. They're the season for presence, being present in the moment, enjoying the people that you're around, you're probably going to be eating things you normally don't eat, and that's okay. There's no need to shame yourself or feel guilty or punish yourself later. Your schedule might look a little bit different. Your workouts might not be as consistent, and that doesn't mean you're failing. There's no reason to shame yourself for falling off. It's human. It's normal. You're living your life. You're spending time with your family. A win during the holidays might look a little different than a win in January. A win might be enjoying a meal without guilt or staying up late hanging out with family. A win might be stopping it when you're full or getting back to your routine the next day instead of spiraling into, well, I've already messed up, so what's the point? I might as well just miss another day. We don't need to punish ourselves for enjoying our lives. Food is a part of celebration, connection, culture, memory, one meal or even a few days, doesn't undo weeks, months, or years of taking care of yourself. And I think a lot of us struggle not because of what we eat, but the shame that we attach to it. And that kind of shame has never made anyone healthier. So instead of asking, how do I stay perfect during the holidays, maybe the better question to ask is, how do I stay kind to myself? Maybe it's moving your body or drinking water, Or enjoying a meal and not beating yourself up afterwards. These are all wins. Small wins during busy seasons are about doing what you can, not everything you think you should. You don't need to earn your food. You don't need to apologize for enjoying the holidays. This is a time of happiness, of joy, of celebration. We should be kind to ourselves and those around us and be present and in the moment. So right now I have dishes in the sink from yesterday, which if you know me. You know that I, that's something I don't do, but I have been so busy the last couple days and I've really just prioritized the things that needed to be done before that. I went and I picked up dinner because I knew I already had dishes in the sink. I didn't feel like creating more dishes or procrastinating any more of my time today. I just knew I needed to sit down, get this recorded and edited, and put it up for tomorrow. So those are my small wins. I am very happy that I did this. I. I got this pizza from Crushed Red. It had shrimp on it. It was really good. It was different, but it's one of those things where I could have sat here and felt guilty about eating out or felt guilty that I have dishes in my sink, or that my house is a mess, but I'm not. I'm joyful that I'm able to sit here, that I have a roof over my head, that I have all of these priorities that rank a little bit higher and that it's just a busy season, and that's okay. I'm so grateful, I'm so blessed, and I'm trying to just move through this season, this very, very busy season of life and just be present and in the moment as much as I can. Why is it that small wins create big results? Whenever you focus on the small wins, you're focusing on the goals that are attainable. You're not setting your goals too high and you're taking the time to celebrate the small victories. I'm not sure what really started it for me, but I always used to set these massive goals. I knew that I was capable of achieving all of them, but I would set them so big that I would just sit there I couldn't move, I couldn't act upon it. I felt paralyzed. And I think that's a pretty normal reaction for a lot of people. We set the bar way too high and then any step feels like it might not be the right step, or we sit in preparation for hours before making any progress. That's why coming in with small wins is always going to be the best because you're setting baby steps, boxes that you can check off left and right. It makes you feel like you're actually accomplishing things because you are. You're getting those things done. You're moving to the next step. It feels good, and there's something in our brain that. Likes to check off those boxes. That likes to see the progress. So instead of setting your bar so high, create attainable goals and really focus on the InBetween steps. What does it take to get from A to B and B2C? We don't need A to Z because there's so many steps in between that things that you wouldn't even think about. when you set goals too high, this can lead to burnout. I'm so guilty of setting the bar too high and going at a hundred percent for days and days and days, and then I crash out, I burn out. I then start avoiding all of it because I just can't. Fathom the thought of not accomplishing it because I was doing so well, but if you look at it, I was setting the bar way too high. I wasn't doing it in a mindful way. It was, I have to do this, I have to go, I have to go. And I wasn't celebrating any of the small wins. I was just waiting for that big trophy at the end. But. It's the journey that counts. It's not the finish line that you should be aiming for. You should enjoy all of the steps in between all of the small wins, all of the victories, because there are so many victories in the process. And when you do miss a day, there's no reason to shame yourself, to feel guilty, to feel bad, and to run away from it just. Know that you're human and it's okay, and everybody goes through it. All of these people that look like they're living a perfect life probably aren't, a lot of us quit, not because we're incapable, but because we're setting the bar so high that trying feels exhausting. My goal this past year was to set goals that were actually attainable. Like I said in one of my other episodes, done is better than perfect. My business partner taught me this from the beginning, and I think that's why we've had the success that we have is because we're not focusing on making sure everything is perfect and setting these large, massive goals. We're checking off boxes weekly, daily, hourly. And getting the things done that need to be done social media has such an impact on our mental health. We live in a day and age where social media makes us feel like we're behind or we're failing. It puts out the illusion that success happens overnight, comparison is the thief of joy and there's always going to be someone on that looks like their life is better than yours, and that doesn't mean that it is. If those people are posting the highlight reel of their life, you don't see what they're doing on a day-to-day basis. You don't see the small wins, the losses, all of the things in between that it takes to get from where they were to where they're at now. It's just, it's not realistic and there's always going to be something better, something you wish you had, So what exactly is a win? To me, it's showing up when you don't want to. It's doing those workouts whenever you really don't feel like it. Those are the ones that make you feel so much better afterwards. It's doing something instead of nothing. Maybe that's doing one load of laundry instead of three loads of laundry or folding the clothes that you already have clean. A big one for me is resting whenever my body needs it. I feel like I've always felt guilt and shame around resting, but it's important. It's crucial for your body to rest, especially if you're working out a lot., It needs that time to recover. And over time these small wins are going to accumulate. They're going to create bigger results. It helps to build momentum. Whenever you start accomplishing those goals, you feel more confident in yourself. And how good the consistency feels. The act of showing up is the hardest part. Whenever I built my head spa, it was always about checking off the small things, getting the little things done, and not perfecting it, but getting it accomplished and celebrating those small wins, celebrating when we had a hundred appointments, celebrating when we had a thousand followers. All of the little things. Letting those be wins, allowing those and celebrating it, and keeping that momentum. We went to Korea and Japan as a celebratory vacation and also as a learning experience. We went to a business conference, but that was something that we didn't need to do, but we had worked so hard for it and we deserved a break. We deserved a vacation. This also works in relationships as well. Right now I am going through a breakup and sometimes it's all about the small wins of, you know what, I made my bed today, I brushed my teeth, and I wrote down a couple things in my journal. If you're going through hard times, focus on those small ones. Give yourself the confidence to know that you can do hard things and it's not as difficult as it may seem when it comes to working out. Maybe it's. Working out three times a week or doing a five or 10 minute workout every day, and then slowly adding it up over time. You don't need to go from zero to a hundred. Again, these small wins, it's little improvements over time that are going to make lasting results. One of the best books that I've ever read is Atomic Habits. I read this January of 2023, and that was the book. I guess that was the time in my life where I really was ready to make a change. But that book has given me so many tips and just led to lasting results. One of the biggest takeaways that I had from that book is massive changes don't come from huge dramatic moments. It comes from the tiny, consistent actions that compound over time, and I think that's so important to remember, especially during this busy season, we don't need to overdo it with our lives right now. We don't need an extreme. We just need to keep the smallest promises to ourselves. In the book he talks about how habits are a vote for the type of person you want to become. So choosing one small thing, drinking water, going for a walk, stopping when you're full, getting back on track the next day, that is a vote for the right direction. So instead of asking yourself what's the big goal, maybe the better question is. What's the smallest habit I can actually stick to right now? And that kind of mindset takes so much pressure off. Especially this time of year. And all of these areas of our lives, all of the big wins they're built on hundreds of small promises that we've kept to ourself. Here are a few practical ways to apply small wins, especially in busy seasons that don't require too much effort. One, set minimum goals, not ideal goals. So instead of asking yourself what you wish you could do, what's the minimum? You can do something small, but that you can keep that promise to yourself. Is it five minutes of movement instead of a full workout? Is it one glass of water instead of a gallon a day, or one nourishing meal instead of a perfect day of eating? If you hit the minimum, that's a win and anything else is a bonus. Two. Use the don't miss twice. Rule missing a day isn't the problem. Quitting is. The goal isn't ever falling off. It's getting back before it turns into a spiral. So if you skip a workout, make sure to do movement the next day. If you eat heavier foods, return to your normal habits the next meal. If you miss journaling, pick it up the next day. If you miss a day of reading again, continue the next day. Progress isn't about never messing up. It's about how quickly you can return three, shrink the habit until it feels almost too easy. If a habit feels heavy or overwhelming, it's probably too big. For example, maybe do one stretch instead of a full routine or one sentence instead of a full page of journaling, one deep breath. Before reacting, small habits are the ones that create consistency or big habits can make us feel overwhelmed and unable to accomplish it. Four. Track your effort, not your outcomes. Instead of measuring success by results, try measuring it by effort. So if you showed up, if you made a better choice, if you tried again, if you came back after missing a day. Effort is always in your control where outcomes aren't five. In the day by naming three small wins before going to bed. Ask yourself what went right today? Was it resting when you needed to? Was it saying no to something you felt like you had to say yes to? Was it eating without guilt? Was it doing a workout? Your brain remembers what you train it to look for. So when you look for the small wins, you'll find them. They're not about lowering the bar, they're about setting it to where you can overcome them. As we get into the end of the year, I think a lot of people either completely check out or go into overdrive. We start listing everything we didn't do, every goal, we missed every way. We fell short and honestly, that mindset doesn't help you move forward. It's just draining. This time of year isn't about tearing yourself apart, but taking inventory. Instead of asking yourself, why didn't I do more? Ask yourself, what did I follow through on? What habits stuck even just a little bit, and what did I learn about myself? Where did I show up when it would've been easier not to the small wins at the end of the year matter because they tell you the truth about what's sustainable, and sustainability is what actually carries you into the new year. Not motivation, not pressure. Some extreme reset, but small attainable goals to build on what already works. So as we head into the rest of this year and into the new one, I just want to leave you with this. You don't need to do more to move forward. You need to be more consistent with what actually works for you. Small wins matter they show you what you can sustain, not just what you can do when motivation is high, and that's what carries you through the busy seasons, the holidays, and into the new year. If this year didn't go exactly how you'd planned, that doesn't mean it was a waste. There's lessons to learn from and growth to be had. There are wins there even if they don't look like it. Going into the new year. Don't set goals based on who you think you should be, but who you already are and what you know you can follow through on and build from there. Before I go, I just want to let you know that in a few weeks I'm going to be doing a q and a. So if there's any questions you might have, I have a Google form linked in the show notes where you can submit any questions. And I have also included the Instagram where you can send me a message or any ideas that you have for the podcast, any topics that you want me to go over. If you've made it this far in the episode, I just wanna say thank you for listening. Thank you for your support. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to leave a review and share this with somebody who needs it. I love you. I'm proud of you, and thank you so much for spending this time with me.. keep showing up for yourself. Keep growing and I'll see you next time. Bye.