Examples of Small Wins

Examples of small wins include making a phone call you were avoiding, finishing a ten-minute task, going to a cafe alone or replying to a message you had left for days. A small win is any step that is clearly finished, clearly yours and small enough to complete today. This page lists 40, grouped by area, and shows how to log them.

What makes something a small win?

Use three checks. It should be specific ("sent the email", not "was productive"), finished (you can say yes or no) and within your control (you did it, whether or not anyone noticed). For the idea behind the term, read what a small win is. The point is not to inflate ordinary tasks; it is to notice effort you would otherwise forget.

1. Daily life (8 examples)

1. Made the bed before breakfast.
2. Took out the rubbish before it overflowed.
3. Cleared one drawer or one shelf, not the whole room.
4. Cooked a meal from scratch instead of ordering.
5. Went to bed at the time you planned.
6. Paid a bill on the day it arrived.
7. Fixed the small thing you had been stepping around for weeks.
8. Washed the one dish that was making you avoid the kitchen.

2. Work and study (6 examples)

1. Opened the document you had been avoiding and wrote the first paragraph.
2. Sent the email that had been sitting in your drafts.
3. Asked one question in a meeting.
4. Finished a task in a timed 25-minute block.
5. Said "I will check and come back to you" instead of guessing.
6. Closed your laptop at the time you planned.

For the meeting example, our guide to asking a question in a meeting breaks it down.

3. Social life (7 examples)

1. Replied to a message you had been putting off.
2. Said hello to a neighbour.
3. Gave someone a sincere compliment. See how to give a compliment.
4. Suggested a plan to a friend instead of waiting.
5. Stayed in a conversation for one more minute than you wanted.
6. Said no to something you did not want to do, politely.
7. Told someone you enjoyed spending time with them.

4. Doing things alone (7 examples)

1. Ate lunch in a cafe by yourself.
2. Went to the cinema alone. See going to the movies alone.
3. Walked into a shop and asked a staff member a genuine question.
4. Took a different route home just to see it.
5. Went to a class where you knew nobody.
6. Sat in a park for 20 minutes without your phone.
7. Booked a ticket for something you wanted to attend alone.

Solo Era has missions for several of these, for example "Buy something from a bakery and eat it on a bench." and "Thank someone for a specific helpful action." If you want one of your own, you can write a custom mission.

5. Body and energy (6 examples)

1. Took a 10-minute walk after a meal.
2. Drank a glass of water before coffee.
3. Stretched for five minutes.
4. Went to the gym and left after 15 minutes. See gym anxiety.
5. Put your phone away an hour before bed.
6. Got outside in daylight once.

6. Money and admin (3 examples)

1. Opened the letter you had been avoiding.
2. Cancelled a subscription you no longer use.
3. Moved a small amount into savings, whatever the amount.

7. Mind and emotions (3 examples)

1. Wrote three lines in a journal.
2. Noticed a harsh thought and rephrased it kindly. See self-compassion.
3. Rated your nervousness before a hard thing, did it and rated again.

Why tiny wins count

A win only counts if you can see it. Progress that never gets written down tends to disappear, and tough days then feel as if nothing has changed. A log gives you a record to look at. This is the reasoning behind the before-and-after rating method, which pairs a number with each attempt.

Small wins are also a good fit for confidence. Rather than waiting to feel confident, you collect evidence that you can do things. Our guide on how to build self-confidence explains how to put these together.

How to log wins in a journal

Keep the format boring so you actually use it. One line per win:

Tips:

• Write it the same day. Memory edits things.
• Keep it factual. "Went for a walk" beats "Was amazing".
• Add a rating when it was hard. Nervousness before and after tells you more than the win alone.
• Review on Sunday. Count the wins, pick one to repeat, and choose one slightly bigger step for next week.
• Do not compare wins. Your size-1 may be someone's size-3.

If you need help starting, see how to start a journal and gratitude journal prompts.

A weekly template

1. Write three wins, even if they feel silly.
2. Circle the one that took the most effort.
3. Ask: what made it possible? (A plan, a time, a person.)
4. Choose next week's one slightly bigger step.

Bad days

On a hard day, lower the bar rather than skipping. "Got out of bed" and "ate something" are wins. If low mood lasts for weeks, or small things feel impossible, consider talking to a doctor or therapist. This page is not medical advice, and Solo Era is not therapy.

Using Solo Era to collect wins

Solo Era is an iPhone app for practising doing things alone. Each completed mission can be recorded in the journal with a photo and notes, and the app plots your before-and-after nervousness ratings over time. It is a natural place to keep the solo-activity wins on this page, though we do not promise particular outcomes.

Solo Era for iPhone

Log your first small win today

Pick one example from this list, rate your nerves before and after, and write one line.

Solo Era for iPhone

Try it with Solo Era

Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.