The Wins You Overlook Are Fuel You’re Not Using.
Most high performers only allow themselves to acknowledge the big wins — the milestone moments, the promotions, the targets hit, the “I’ve made it” achievements.
For some, acknowledging wins feels dangerous — as though it could lead to complacency. For others, self-worth is tied so tightly to achievement that only the “significant” moments qualify as worthy of recognition. Many even dismiss their own contribution, attributing progress to others or to luck, and quickly move on to the next goal.
If any of that sounds familiar, here are some reasons to rethink why it's time to start acknowledging the wins along the way:
1. You’ll always feel like an imposter.
Imposter syndrome often shows up when you advance in your career. It’s the quiet belief that “I don’t deserve to be here, and someone’s going to find out.”
Acknowledging your wins as they happen helps you internalise a new identity — one micro-success at a time. Every time you pause to recognise progress, you reinforce the belief: This is who I am now. You’re collecting evidence that you’re the kind of person who achieves, grows, and keeps moving forward.
When you let yourself notice the small wins on the way, by the time you get “there,” it won’t feel like luck — it will feel like alignment.
2. Your team needs it more than you realise.
You may not need praise or acknowledgment to keep going — but your team does. High performers often assume others are wired the same way. They’re not.
When progress is invisible, people feel unseen, undervalued, and disconnected from the mission.
A quick message, a casual callout in a meeting, or a shared ritual can create powerful momentum. In my previous career in advertising, the company would beat a giant drum whenever there was good news — the whole office would gather. It didn’t matter how big or small the win was; people felt part of something.
You don’t have to value celebration for yourself — but you do need to value what it does for the people who rely on you. Recognition isn’t indulgent. It’s a leadership responsibility.
3. Progress is what motivates us.
If you’re learning padel, you don’t expect a perfect game the first time you step onto the court. Progress — not perfection — is what keeps you going.
Progress can look like:
Saying no to a meeting you don’t need to be in.
Drafting one slide, rather than procrastinating.
Choosing a walk over scrolling social media.
Speaking up once in a meeting when you’d normally stay silent.
Writing a single page of your book instead of waiting for “inspiration.”
That’s progress.
When you acknowledge it, you create momentum. When you only focus on what hasn’t been done, you create discouragement. As Dan Sullivan writes in The Gap and The Gain:
“You have an ideal in your mind, and you're measuring yourself against your ideal rather than against the actual progress you've made.”
Measuring against the ideal keeps you chasing. Measuring against your gain keeps you growing.
4. Focus on the process, not just the outcome.
When I was preparing for my TEDx talk in 2018, I was fixated on the moment I’d step onto the stage. Writing the script felt like a hurdle to “getting there.” It took more than 20 drafts before we even began stage prep.
Looking back, that frustrating process was the gift. My coach stretched me beyond my comfort zone, and I learned more about my craft in eight weeks than I would have if I’d gone from draft one straight to delivery.
The small daily wins were what shaped me into a better speaker — and a better human. You can check out the talk here - Lori Milner: How to create Micro-Wins | TED Talk
Whether you’re changing a culture or fixing a broken system, things won’t run to your ideal timeline. Notice the micro wins — and even the micro failures — because both are part of your becoming.
5. Slowing down doesn’t slow you down.
Acknowledging a win is a form of pausing — not for ego, but for perspective. It’s striving with contentment: appreciating where you are while still moving toward what’s next.
If you go for a walk on holiday, do you sprint to the finish or enjoy the journey? Either way you’ll get there — but one version leaves you exhausted and disconnected, while the other leaves you alert, energised, and clear.
No one is timing you. You get to choose how you arrive.
Enjoy the people. Enjoy the lessons. Enjoy what you’re building — even as you build it.
6. Put it into practice.
Take a moment and credit what you’ve already done. Try asking yourself:
What are my wins from the last 90 days?
What would my 20-year-old self be proud of?
What did I believe three months ago that I don’t believe anymore?
What do I now say no to that I used to tolerate?
What used to feel important ten years ago that no longer matters?
This isn’t about arrogance — it’s about evidence. You’re evolving, even if you don’t stop to see it.
7. Learn to receive praise.
Once you start acknowledging your wins, you build an even more powerful habit — accepting self-praise without deflecting it.
When someone compliments you, do you immediately minimise it? What would happen if you simply said “thank you”?
Celebrating a win can be as small as a smile, a quiet “well done,” or a pause before moving on. Even if a habit is established — like a workout or meditation session — recognise it afterwards. That’s how you reinforce identity.
Final thoughts.
Micro wins are the LEGO bricks of your future achievements. If you want to run a marathon, your first win is a ten-minute walk around the block. If you want to write a book, it might be one paragraph or one idea captured in a note.
Micro wins are the antidote to inaction because they help you start — and keep the momentum going.
Celebrate them. Internalise them. Use them as evidence of who you are becoming.
If this hasn’t been your way up to now, let it start here. The more you acknowledge your wins, the less you’ll feel like an imposter — and the more permission you’ll have to be both human and high-performing.
Here's to who you are becoming,
Warm wishes,
Lori