Celebrate Small Victories

Last Post of 2024

This post is 1,017 words, a 5-minute read.

It is crazy to think that another year is coming to a close. It feels like the year just started, and it is already over. Like me, I am sure you are also reflecting on all the various things you have done this year: the places you went, the people you spent time with, and the things you accomplished. It has been a full year for most of us.

As the year comes to a close, and we all get nostalgic about what has been or could have been, I want to share a closing thought for us to hold onto during our reflections:

Celebrate Our Small Victories.

I wrote on this topic three years ago (it's crazy to think I have been writing and releasing posts for that long) and want to reshare those thoughts. If you want to read the original, check it out below, but I encourage you not to.

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In the past, I hosted weekly money discussions with a few friends. These were designed to be safe spaces to discuss every money topic under the sun. They allowed everyone to ask questions that might be perceived as "dumb" (sidenote: no such thing). We discussed everything from budgeting to debt payment to investing to spending habits. We held each other accountable for our actions. Nothing was off-limits.

Life Pro Tip: Have a group of people you can be completely free and open with about various life events.

The best part for me was that I got to teach about money, which I really enjoy doing. It also inspired a lot of the content I would write about or create for social platforms. In return, they gained a better understanding of money and made progress on various financial goals.

In one session, I asked everyone if they had any big-money goals or accomplishments. Initially, it was crickets. No one wanted to share anything for whatever reason. Eventually, one of my friends announced that she had paid off one of her credit cards—which got me all the way pumped! (As you know, I DESPISE DEBT). She immediately tried to downplay her accomplishment when I got excited, saying it was her smallest credit card and wasn’t that much and blah blah blah (I stopped listening).

Thankfully, the entire group did not allow her to do that. Everyone began celebrating her and talking about the work she had done to get to the point where one of her cards was paid off. This caused everyone to reflect and share their small victories:

• Saying NO to themselves and others

• Saving their first $100

• Investing their first $50

• Creating their first-ever spending plan or budget

I even bought her a cupcake to get her to accept her accomplishment. Then I told the group: anytime they accomplished anything, we would celebrate it together.

That got me thinking about why we downplay our achievements. I’m not saying this as someone who’s mastered the art of celebration, but as someone who needs regular reminders to acknowledge progress instead of focusing solely on the BIG endpoint goal. Ironically, even when I achieve that “BIG” goal, I just end up moving the goalpost.

What if we flipped the script? What if we celebrated the small victories on the journey? Could it make a difference?

There is a saying from Charlie Munger: “Show me the incentives, and I’ll show you the outcome.”

In ninth grade, my mom and I made a bet: if I earned straight As she would buy me an Xbox 360. Up to that point, I had been getting As and Bs without putting much effort into my schoolwork. But once that incentive was in place, I worked my butt off. I studied harder than ever, paid attention in class, asked questions, and even showed up early to school (shout-out to my mom) to get help from my teachers.

Why did I make all these changes? Because I REALLY wanted that Xbox 360. In other words, I had a powerful incentive to succeed. At the end of that semester, I got the Xbox. But more importantly, I developed better study habits, discovered how I learned best, and figured out how to succeed in school.

The biggest takeaway? Success became tied to a good feeling. It wasn’t just a checkbox; succeeding felt rewarding.

So, my question is: Why don’t we do the same thing with our finances?

I know I don’t always create good incentives for myself. Instead, I believe I “should have known better,” or I beat myself up for not being further ahead. When I accomplish a goal, I often downplay it as unimportant. This robs me of the good feelings associated with progress and makes achieving goals feel pointless, which eventually leads to giving up.

It’s time to flip the script. We need to take a page from social media companies, which reward even the smallest actions with hits of dopamine to keep us coming back for more. The rewards don’t have to be monetary. They can be as simple as calling a friend to share how you said NO in a tough situation. It will look different for everyone, but we all need some way to celebrate when we take steps toward the vision we have for our lives.

Because the more we celebrate these small steps, the more enjoyable the journey becomes. It emboldens and empowers us to continue, even when faced with difficulties. As the old saying goes:

This is the final post of 2024!

I’ll see you all in 2025!

Merry Christmas! Enjoy the holidays with your family and loved ones.

Remember: GENEROSITY > greed

God bless each and every one of y’all.

✌🏾