Business Principle #10: Celebrate the small things.

This post is part of a series on ten foundational principles of being an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurship is forever forward looking—to the next phase of growth, toward that dream on the horizon. 

But when you fixate on the future, it’s easy to become stuck in a state of anticipation. You will never feel like you’ve arrived. Dreams remain far off—or are replaced with new, more ambitious ones. 

The “hustle culture” of entrepreneurship tells us we must always want more, strive for the next thing, and keep pushing. Anything short of the hustle is complacency. 

No wonder so many entrepreneurs burn out. 

What if, instead of always focusing on what’s next, we stopped to celebrate what's already been accomplished? 

Celebrate the wins.

As you build your business, take time to reflect on what’s gone well—no matter how small. Did you have a meaningful conversation with a customer? Celebrate! Did you finally hit “post” on Instagram? Celebrate! Did you file your business license? Celebrate!

When you celebrate the small wins, your mindset shifts. Instead of feeling restless, you’ll see that every small thing you do brings you closer to that big dream. You’ll see the progress you are making, one step at a time. 

Pause to appreciate your accomplishments.

Celebrate the learnings.

Similarly, take the time to reflect on what’s gone wrong—and how you can learn from it. 

When things don’t go according to plan, it’s easy to get discouraged. But in entrepreneurship, there’s a reason why you’re encouraged to “fail fast.” Failure isn’t necessarily bad; it’s an opportunity to learn. With the right mindset, setbacks become the launchpad for your next phase. You learn, change course, and make your business even better than before. 

Celebrate what you’ve learned and what will be different because of it.

Celebrate the journey.

As any seasoned entrepreneur will tell you, owning your own business is not easy. You’ll encounter many challenges and sleepless nights. You may fail (and learn!). But, in the end, it’s worth it. It’s yours. You made it happen. 

Celebrate yourself and the journey you are on—that you actually did it. You took the scary step into business ownership, you made sacrifices, you took the risk. Venturing down this path is brave and worthy of recognition.