“I’m not sure… does this count?” she asked timidly.
She was one of my SIGNED students, and we were starting our group call the way we always do: by celebrating wins from the previous week.
In these calls, there are four types of wins students can bring:
For some students there are Client Wins. (They talk about the new business client they just landed and can’t wait to work with.)
For some students there are Money Wins. (Like my recent student who landed a six-figure, six-month engagement – the most profitable project she’d ever sold!)
Others bring general Business Growth Wins to the table. (One student had an influencer in her industry reach out to her on LinkedIn and invite her onto her podcast!)
And there are also Mindset Wins. (Like the student who hesitated for months about reaching out to an old colleague, but she finally did it. Not long after, the woman wanted to hire her for a huge project at her new company!)
So back to my student. What was she hesitant to celebrate? She’d been contacted by one of her ideal clients because of the strategic content she’d been posting on LinkedIn featuring her expertise.
“That’s GREAT!” I told her. “But… why wouldn’t that count???”
She said, “I usually don’t consider a win a REAL win unless I get a signed paying customer.”
I was surprised, but I’ve heard this before. So here’s what I said to her in response:
Imagine you’re training for a marathon.
And let’s say, in training, you don’t celebrate when you hit 10 miles, or 15, or 20.
You don’t give yourself credit when you put on your running shoes, even though you’d rather be doing anything else.
You won’t celebrate when you see your pace increasing over time.
Imagine that, after all that training, you ONLY give yourself credit when you cross the finish line. Aren’t you missing an opportunity to celebrate YOU and the growth along the way?
I get it. All of us, everyone I work with, we’re all amazing women who hold ourselves to high standards.
But I’m here to tell you that if you ONLY celebrate the BIGGEST wins… you are setting yourself up for a tough road.
It’s the small wins that keep the joy in your business. It’s the small wins that fuel business growth and keep you going. And it’s the small wins, adding up over time, that lead to real change and growth.
And those wins can take SO many forms:
Pushing through something, even when you feel internal resistance, is a win.
An absolute ideal client reaching out to you is a win.
Sending that proposal that you never would have had the guts to send before… that’s a win!
Hell, even paying your quarterly taxes is a win.
By celebrating these smaller successes, you’re acknowledging your hard work that LEADS to those big wins. And creating a lot more enjoyment along the way.
So tell me, … what wins are you celebrating in your business these days? I really want to know! You can use the same wins we start each SIGNED coaching call with:
Client wins – you signed a new client
Money wins – you charged or got paid more than ever before
Business wins – something great happened in your business
Mindset wins – you had a mindset shift and did something even though it was uncomfortable
Send a message and let me know!
To your success,
Leah
