WHY PEOPLE LOVE PROGRESS

When it comes to using numbers as a source of motivation, tracking progress is powerful.

I read a quote from Daniel Pink (the author of Drive) the other day that got me thinking about how we can measure performance.

“The single biggest motivator is ‘making progress in one’s work.’ The days that people make progress are the days they feel most motivated and engaged.”

It isn't about changing the numbers; it's about changing how they are framed to trigger the brain's natural progress-seeking systems.

Research by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer analyzed nearly 12,000 diary entries from 238 employees and found that making progress in meaningful work was the single most important factor in boosting emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday. Even small wins had surprisingly strong positive effects on people's inner work lives.

What is a small win?

Small wins are like mini milestones that help you get closer to the bigger goals.

Examples of a small win:

• Walking for 25 minutes before breakfast when your goal is to lose weight

• Writing 200 words in a day when your goal is to write a book

• Learning 10 words when your goal is to speak a foreign language

• Not using your credit card for one day a week when your goal is to save money

• Having a good week of cost control when your goal is to hit your annual budget target

Why are they important?

Small wins make progress visible and rewarding. They help you see and feel what’s possible. They are proof. They can be an important factor in the mathematics of motivation thanks to how our brains react to progress.

Why our brains love small wins?

These small wins release dopamine, which is the brain’s reward chemical. It creates a feeling of satisfaction and encourages us to seek that feeling again, which motivates us to repeat the small win. This is sometimes referred to as a positive feedback loop or a motivation loop.

Small wins provide real time feedback.

Small wins provide emotional rewards.

Small wins help us build habits.

Small wins make progress visible.

And motivation is on the other side of progress.

With each small win we generate momentum which moves us forward. Towards our bigger goal.

When it comes to using numbers as a source of motivation, our brains love progress.

How can you make progress visible?

How are you celebrating the small wins with those around you?

Robert