From one seed, hundreds
I work with high achievers. To me, that means people who are highly conscientious in some area of their life.
High achievers are high in conscientiousness in one or more areas of their life.
High achievers have the persistence and determination to meet their goals consistently, but they run the risk of burnout and feeling “never enough.” Often it’s because they forget the tiny things, the seeds.
What are seeds?
A single flower didn’t originate as a bloom. It started as a seed, developed slowly into a seedling, and then grew into a flower. Oftentimes, high achievers focus on the flower and forget how powerful the origin was.
- They forget to celebrate the small wins
- They forget that seedlings take time to grow and instead, want instant results in themselves
- They forget that small shifts in behavior can lead to big leaps
- They fail to see how much they’ve done already–always looking ahead to the next project
Why pay attention to the small things?
High achievers are great at learning from mistakes, but it’s just as important to learn from wins, too–even tiny ones. Being mindful of the small shifts in behavior or thoughts is evidence of a growth mindset, the idea that we can learn and shift as we experience things in life. People who are high achieving often forget that part of growth is looking back at what we did well, not just looking at how to learn from mistakes.
How can I harness the power of small things?
- Take stock of your wins for the week, not just the large successes, but the tiny shifts towards success, as well. Let’s say you tend to procrastinate and avoid doing financial work for your personal or professional life. This week, though, you paid attention to your resistance and noticed the thoughts behind your procrastination. Did it stop the procrastination? No. But the simple act of noticing made a shift in your ability to cope the next time. This is a small but powerful win.
- Remember that change takes time. It can be frustrating to not have the quick fix, but it doesn’t mean that there’s been no growth. Seedlings take time to grow, often underground. There might be giant changes happening inside you, despite how it looks on the surface.
- Growth is not always linear. You may have setbacks or stalls, and it’s important to look back from time to time to see how far you’ve come.
Look at the big and the small today, and celebrate those wins. From one seed, hundreds of flowers can bloom.
