The Value of Small Wins - The Psychology of Growth and How to Influence Big Change
The wildflowers of Colorado in summer are unparalleled compared to anywhere else I've lived. They bloom from mid-August to late August, depending on the region and altitude. Recently, I backpacked the 4 Pass Loop in Aspen, CO—a journey with 2,500 feet of elevation gain per pass. This five-day trip was slow but pristine. Although I had hiked long distances before, this time I was dealing with a back injury and a bone spur. Still, I pushed through because I have clear goals for my future. Recovery feels slow and frustrating, making it seem like I’m moving backward. To keep my spirits up, I focused on the wildflowers—and took thousands of photos.
It wasn't until I got home and talked with my partner about some of the trepidation I felt that he gave me a rude awakening about the snail pace that's wearing on my motivation. He very kindly but sternly reminded me of a simple question: Where were you one year from now?
That was just plain rude.
He's right. When he had me pull back to look at the 365-degree views, those small iterative changes I've been making felt like much bigger wins. A year ago I didn't have a business license, I didn't have any multi day backpacking heights over the last few years, I didn't have an opportunity to present and speak to a public audience parentheses coming in October this year parentheses And I didn't know a darn thing about mountaineering or avalanche rescue or self rescue or any of the skills that I picked up last winter..Admittedly, those are two separate goals I've wrapped into one... I'm trying to start this business in professional development while also continuing to pursue my dreams of reaching Denali, but the progress is progress. It just feels as slow as growing a flower
This realization led me to begin researching how to reframe my progress, which brings us to today's topic: the power of small wins.
Wildflowers and Porch Pots as a Metaphor for Iterative Change
This week, I posted on Instagram about my garden, my growth with flowers, and how failures—like the death of my strawberries—remind me daily of that lesson from my family. That’s when I explored research on why I should truly embrace small wins, even when they don’t seem like wins at all.
Let’s take my garden, for example. When I moved into my house in the early part of the twenty-twenties, the porch was bare. I was starting from scratch since I had moved from a home that had garden beds. Any growth I had accomplished there would be left behind for this new endeavor. First, I had to wait. I moved into the house at the end of the growing season, which meant another six months before I could try my hand at rebuilding the garden I imagined for this new stage of my life. My time, resources, and money were attached to new family issues and a new career, so I started with just a couple of flower pots. None of them made it through the next winter, so I had to start again. Because the first flowers did well, I felt braver and added a few more. Each month, I saw flowers grow and pass their season; I purchased and potted a new plant to bloom. While the first iteration worked toward a second bloom, I tried again. Now, a few years down the line, my front porch is flooded with not only beautiful flowers but also food—a berry here and a pepper there, but it’s more than I ever had before at this house.
When I step back from the porch, I can see the growth—the space has become lively and welcoming, its once-bare concrete now covered with an abundance of life.
Based on the number of plant carcasses I’ve created during this experiment, we can infer that being a gardener will always be a hobby for me, rather than a career goal. But this one little thing brings me joy when I’m unable to go outside for an adventure. It’s helping me reframe, every day, how I look at progress. It’s not about mastering the skill. It’s about knowing each step toward what you want is still a step, even if you can’t see it right away. You finally notice it when you look back or take a step back.
This can be applied to any outdoor sport. How about when you couldn’t stand on the surfboard? Or any hike with miles of trail behind you? Every once in a while, you have to look behind to see how much you’ve done. That helps motivate you for the long road still ahead.
But there is a psychological tool you can use in these tough moments. It can help shift your perspective during the struggles and doubts we all face while building new things.
Karl Weick and the Strategy of Small Wins
Karl Weick was a social psychologist in the 70s and 80s. He worked for the University of Michigan and Stanford University, both honored establishments. He began with his Ph.D. in social psychology at Ohio State in 1962. He focused his research on how people in business organizations or crisis situations make sense of high-pressure environments.
He witnessed society grappling with major challenges during his lifetime, including nuclear disarmament, civil rights, and environmental reform. Drawing on his expertise in organizational behavior and social psychology from the 1980s, he developed a mindset framework that helps individuals spark momentum and sustain change during times of severe stress. In 1984, he published the essay Small Wins: Redefining the Scale of Social Problems.
While you can read the whole article here, here’s the gist. Weick recognized early on that society often faces problems that feel too big to resolve. This could be heart disease for personal health, or homelessness in a city. When humans face significant problems, we often encounter a concept known as bounded rationality. We exceed our “cognitive limits.” Basically, this means we’re given too much information and too many options for solutions. We then face decision paralysis and end up making no change. Weick wants society to change how we build solutions. He highlights the advantage of valuing small wins.
Small wins, Weick argues, are digestible, appealing, discrete, and not threatening to those who might challenge change. They also build optimism for those experiencing the changes. Small wins promote sustainable progress in society. Some people see small wins as naive, as if you are ignoring the large problem. But Weick provides a reframe. He suggests that small wins actually enhance our ability to persevere. They help us face setbacks more easily, keep us aware of progress, and reduce our preconceptions about how much is needed to start building change.
He spoke about this as a social psychologist, focusing on policymaking, politics, and community engagement. But I argue this also applies to individuals reflecting on their own growth. It also applies to any team facing significant change. Progress takes time and many small steps. You’re less likely to grow if you focus only on how big a project seems. Taking small steps, and celebrating small wins, is a smart way to achieve the success you want and the change you need.
Conclusion: Growth You Can See
Just as I’ve seen every flower that’s finally bloomed on a plant I brought back to life, or every time I look back on the trail I've taken to see the mountain I crossed there in the far distance, progress can creep up on you. The key is to keep your head in the game and keep moving forward. Living in optimism through small wins—not dwelling on great challenges—will inspire you
And perhaps inspire those around you.
After all, there certainly are a few more porch gardens in my neighborhood now.
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Further Reading on Small Wins
Karl E. Weick (1984), Small Wins: Redefining the Scale of Social Problems
This is the original, seminal essay where Weick introduced the concept of small wins, showing how breaking down overwhelming problems into manageable pieces creates momentum for larger change.
Teresa Amabile, Small Wins and Feeling Good (Harvard Business Review, 2011)
A practical, business-focused application of Weick’s theory, explaining how recognizing and celebrating small wins in daily work boosts motivation and long-term performance.
