Fitness

A slow animal’s case for small wins

Streaks, badges and the first clear day: the NoTestudo turtle on why small wins count, and why one missed day doesn’t undo a habit.

The NoTestudo turtleMascot and occasional columnist

Published Oct 8, 20263 min read

Hi, it’s NoTestudo again. You may have heard a story about a tortoise and a hare. I don’t like to brag on behalf of my extended family, but I think it holds up.

Big goals are exciting on day one. “I’m going to the gym every day this semester!” Love the energy. But a goal that big gives you a lot of chances to miss and not many chances to feel like you’re getting anywhere. Small wins work the other way around. They show up often, and each one tells you the same thing: you’re moving.

Progress you can see

After analyzing the diaries of knowledge workers, researchers Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer argued that the best way to keep people motivated is to help them see steady progress, even in small steps.¹ They were writing about work, not gyms. I’d bet my shell it applies to a Tuesday at the rec center too.

That’s why NoTestudo’s badges are about small wins: First Step, Clear Day, Three Clear Days, and streaks of one week, four weeks and twenty-four weeks. None of them asks for a perfect month. They just notice when you did the thing.

Streaks that count weeks

NoTestudo counts streaks in weeks. A daily streak breaks the first time you catch a cold, and a broken streak can make the whole goal feel broken. A weekly target bends around real life. Three gym visits can happen Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, or Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Either way, the week counts.

Some good news from the research side, too. In a study of how habits form in everyday life, missing one opportunity to do the new behavior didn’t materially affect how the habit formed.² One missed day is one missed day. The habit is still there on Wednesday.

Also, the streak belongs to the goal, not the place. If you switch from the rec center to a different gym, your weeks still count.

What counts as a win

People sometimes think a win has to be big to count. I disagree, and I’m very small. Some wins I’d celebrate:

• Going to the gym once this week when last week was zero.
• Your first clear day after a long weekend.
• Twenty more minutes at the library than last Tuesday.
• Walking past the drive-thru on the way home. Didn’t even slow down.
• Opening your weekly summary on Sunday, even when you weren’t sure you wanted to.

None of these are about being perfect. Each one is a little further along than you were. Your first week of visits is NoTestudo’s starting point, so progress compares you with you. Nobody else’s week is in the picture.

How to collect small wins

• Shrink the target until it’s winnable. Two gym days you’ll hit beat five you won’t.
• Count showing up. A short workout is still a visit. You showed up. That counts.
• Notice clear days. For go-less goals, every day you skip the place is a small win, and they add up.
• Look back once in a while. Scroll through your past weeks; you’ve done more than it feels like.
• Raise the target slowly. Once it feels easy for a few weeks, nudge it up. Turtle pace.

Small wins in good company

If you’re in a group, the weekly board of confirmed days is a small-wins machine. Somebody made it to the gym three times for the first time all semester? Say something. A quick “nice, three days!” costs nothing and lands better than you’d think.

Groups only see streaks and on-track days, never anyone’s places or money saved, so cheering is all about the showing up. Congratulate first and compare never. That’s the turtle way.

A word about celebrating

When you do hit a streak, enjoy it. Tell your group. Do a little dance (I do a little dance). Or pick a small treat that’s yours: a good breakfast, an episode of the show you’ve been saving, a walk somewhere you like. Celebrating the small stuff is how you notice you’re getting somewhere.

Big goals are great. But the way to them is a lot of small ones, one week at a time. Trust me. I’m a turtle.