- Getting your passport photo in the morning before work.
- Paying off the smallest debt first, in just a few days.
- Checking the easiest item off your To-Do list two minutes after writing the list.
Each of these is an example of an early win. Early wins are often some of the smallest wins, but they’re important psychologically.
That’s why getting up early can be such a life-changing experience. It’s not that there’s anything inherently awesome about the morning. It’s that you feel like you’re getting early wins, which psych up the rest of the day.
At the same time, it’s easy to discount the importance of early wins. Their benefit is all in your head, so it’s easy to rationalize it away. You think you’ll just make up for the early wins with willpower and determination.
Thing is, when you look around at people who seem to have a ton of that determination, it’s not pure willpower. It’s how they’ve set themselves up.
They’ve created an environment around themselves that promotes a positive attitude. That’s how they can keep that attitude. It’s not because of their amazing discipline.
It’s that they’ve focused on early wins to gain the momentum to continue.
The question then is, how can you and I set these up for our projects? How can we create momentum? How can we get early wins?
