My kid's friend said her 'win' was finishing her book report before 8 PM

I heard my daughter's friend, Lily, say that at the park today. It made me think about how my own small wins used to be about big projects, but now it's stuff like getting the dishwasher unloaded before the morning rush. That felt like a real shift in what feels like an achievement. Anyone else find their idea of a win has gotten a lot simpler over the years?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_paul22d ago

Totally. I read this article that called it "the tyranny of the to-do list." It said we get a little hit of good feeling from checking off any box, big or small. So when life gets busy, the boxes just get smaller to fit. Finishing a book report by 8pm is a legit win because it means one less thing hanging over your head. The bar for a good day just gets lower and honestly, more realistic.

terry67721d ago

I get what you're saying but I've found the opposite. When I lower the bar too much, I just feel like I'm not getting anything REAL done.

victor_jones9921d ago

My gym buddy does this with his workout goals. I see what @the_paul means about lowering the bar to feel a win. It keeps you moving forward when a big task feels stuck.