26 February 2021

“Too often, we convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action”, says James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. Here are three ways we can make small and even unnoticeable improvements every day to reach greatness.

2:00 Min

Understanding the power of small wins

Karl E. Weick, an organisational theorist at the University of Michigan, coined the term “small wins” while exploring strategies to solve social problems using human psychology. The argument rests on the fact that one must look to daily wins to see any real change in complex problems. His work has since formed the foundations of organisations, Olympic athletes, and more. Here’s how to make small wins work for you.

Break down big problems into small tasks

Bing Gordon, a tech developer and venture capitalist, describes this approach as “smallifying”. He explains that complex and long-term projects are often inefficient, but when tasks are broken down into specific problems, they become more manageable and solvable. This allows teams to be more creative and productive with their time. Follow our guidelines on how to prioritise tasks in five simple steps.

Integrate learning

We spend around 61 percent of our time e-mailing, gathering information, and communicating internally, and most of that information is new to us – so we can learn from it. Take stock of routines and identify opportunities. For example, when sitting in on a sales negotiation, take note of mediation techniques to build your persuasion skills. Find out here how to incorporate learning into your daily habits.