Celebrate your wins, no matter how small.

Acknowledge all of your small victories. They will eventually add up to something great.
– Kara Goucher

As a business owner with ADHD, the road to success is often filled with speed bumps, detours, and plenty of challenges. The constant juggling act of managing a business while dealing with distractibility, impulsivity, and other ADHD-related obstacles can be mentally and emotionally draining. Amidst this whirlwind, it’s all too easy to overlook your hard-won progress and fail to appreciate the small victories along the way.

But here’s the thing – actively celebrating those small wins, no matter how seemingly insignificant they may appear, can be a game-changer for your confidence, motivation, and overall drive as an entrepreneur with ADHD. Let me explain why.

The tendency to brush off progress

For those of us with ADHD, our brains are hardwired to crave that constant dopamine hit of novelty and excitement. As a result, we often find ourselves chasing the next big goal or thrill, rarely pausing to bask in the glory of our recent accomplishments, no matter how impressive they may be to an outsider.

“Oh, I landed that huge client? Cool, but what’s next on the agenda?”

We brush off our wins as no big deal, already hyper-focused on the next frontier. While this kind of relentless drive can be a powerful entrepreneurial asset, it also means we chronically sell ourselves short and fail to internalise our successes. Over time, this mental pattern can zap our motivation and self-assurance.

The immense value of savouring victories

Here’s the thing – taking a moment to genuinely celebrate your small wins, whether it’s nailing that sales pitch, finally clearing your inbox nightmare, or streamlining a cumbersome business process, does so much more than give you a fleeting sense of achievement. It’s an active investment in your long-term confidence, resilience, and overall emotional wellbeing as a business owner.

By intentionally savouring those micro-victories, you’re reinforcing the neural pathways that associate hard work and perseverance with feeling good. You’re giving your ADHD brain that crucial hit of dopamine and other feel-good neurotransmitters, which can then propel you forward with renewed vigour and self-assurance.

As James, a fellow ADHD entrepreneur, shared with me, “I used to shame myself constantly for not accomplishing enough and never making progress as fast as I wanted. But when I started taking the time to acknowledge and appreciate even the smallest wins, like crushing a to-do list or scoring a new subscriber, it was like my brain finally got the memo that I’m actually pretty darn capable. That mental shift was huge for keeping me motivated and focused.”

Small wins build momentum

Celebrating small wins isn’t just about the immediate emotional boost, although that’s certainly valuable in itself. It’s also a powerful way to build unstoppable momentum as an entrepreneur with ADHD.

Think about it – when you actively acknowledge and honour your progress, no matter how incremental, you’re giving your brain concrete evidence that your efforts are paying off. This positive reinforcement fuels your motivation and self-belief, making it easier to tackle new challenges as you gradually silence that nagging voice of self-doubt that usually holds you back.

As your small wins start accumulating, that sense of momentum becomes a self-perpetuating cycle of confidence, productivity, and progress. Each victory, no matter the size, becomes a stepping stone towards bigger and bolder entrepreneurial dreams.

Get better at celebrating small wins

Convinced that celebrating small wins is a worthwhile practice, but not sure where to start? Here are some tips that have helped myself and my clients with ADHD get better at savouring our successes:

Make it tangible.

We ADHDers tend to be kinaesthetic learners, so consider having a physical representation of your wins. It could be something as simple as a victory jar where you drop in a marble for every accomplishment, or a vision board where you track your milestones.

Share your joy.

Don’t keep your wins to yourself – share them with loved ones, colleagues, or your ADHD community. Their enthusiasm and validation can help to amplify that sense of achievement.

Schedule celebration time.

If it’s not on the calendar, it probably won’t happen! Block off time each week or month specifically dedicated to reflecting on and celebrating your recent wins, no matter how small.

Gamify it.

Turn celebrating small wins into, well, a game! Devise a fun points system for different types of accomplishments, and reward yourself with something special once you hit certain thresholds.

Practice self-compassion.

If you’ve got an ADHD brain, remembering to celebrate progress can be tough. If you slip up and find yourself instantly dismissing a win, don’t beat yourself up. Just gently steer yourself back on track.

TRY IT OUT:

Having a physical, visual representation of your wins can make it easier to recognise and honour those small victories. Here are a few ideas for making your small win celebrations tangible:

Get a special jar or container and drop in a bead, marble, coin etc. for each win.
Use a posterboard or corkboard to pin up notes/pics representing accomplishments.
Use a habit or list tracking app and physically check off wins each day.
Put stickers on a calendar for each day you achieve a small goal.

Running a business with ADHD certainly comes with its fair share of obstacles and setbacks. But by making a conscious effort to celebrate your small wins, no matter how insignificant they may seem on the surface, you’re actively powering up your confidence, motivation, and momentum as a business owner. So, embrace those micro-victories – they just might be the rocket fuel you need to propel you toward your biggest goals.

How do you celebrate your small (or big) wins?

I’ll see you next week!