As soon as we set a goal for ourselves, we’re conditioned to jump straight to the finish line.

“I want to start investing” translates to: “I need to know everything about investing.”

“I want to buy a house” becomes: “I need 20% for a down payment.”

Of course, it’s important to understand the big picture. Yet, while our instinct to aim that big, right away, might make us feel like go-getters, it isn’t as helpful as it may seem.

According to heavily cited research, when we see goals at such a large scale, we “overwhelm [our] ability to do anything about them.” In other words, an overstimulated brain makes tasks feel unachievable.

But there’s an antidote to feeling less overwhelmed about money for big financial goals: think small. It turns out that small wins — as insignificant as they may seem — are actually transformational for building confidence.

What is a small win?

Small wins are consistent achievements that usually go unnoticed. Maybe you paid a bill on time. Maybe you had a percentage of your paycheck automatically deposited into your retirement account. Maybe you stuck to your budget at drinks with your friends (and still had fun). These are all examples of small wins that deserve recognition.

A small win for one person can be a big win for someone else, depending on your financial situation or where you are in your career or life. So, small wins are personal, and there’s no right or wrong small win.

Why are small wins so powerful?

Hitting small goals does great things for your confidence.

• Small wins are immediate: The results are visible and measurable — you see your progress in real time.

• Small wins are tangible: Recognizable opportunities are easier for your brain to grasp, to focus on, and to deal with rationally.

• Small wins are within your control: As you complete concrete tasks over and over again, you feel more capable and accomplished.

• Small wins are more likely to produce lasting change: Once you prove to yourself that tasks are manageable, you’re better able to build on your success.

Here’s the simple way to resize your biggest financial goals to make them feel more achievable.

How do I resize my big goals into small wins?

Step 1: Note your biggest goal.

Write down that thing about your financial future that makes you feel excited or overwhelmed (or both). We’ll use the three big financial goals we mentioned at the start of this article as examples.

Step 2: Make a list of achievable small wins.

Next, name some easily attainable actions you can take to make progress toward it. No achievement is too small to count.

Step 3: Give each small goal a specific timeline.

Finally, turn your list of small wins into your to-do list by giving each one a specific timeline. The more realistic the timeline, the better — you want to set yourself up for success, not failure. Plus, achieving a goal quicker than planned only does great things for your momentum.

After your first brainstorm, it should look something like this:

My big goal: “I want to start investing.”

My small wins:

• Set up autodeposits into an investment account today

• Ask my sister how she started investing this weekend

• Sign up for a workshop about how to get started investing next Monday before work

• Read up on women and investing next Wednesday during lunch

• Download a worksheet to help me identify my core values (free for Ellevest clients) to make it easier to align my investments with my top priorities before the end of the month

My big goal: “I want to buy a house.”

My small wins:

• Check my credit score this weekend

• Schedule a 1:1 Homebuying Strategy Session with a financial planner next weekend

• Identify my timeline for renting vs buying by the end of the month

• Download a debt payoff planner worksheet (free for Ellevest clients) to lower my debt-to-income ratio on the 1st

• Start a home emergency fund in 6 months

My big goal: “I want to invest toward retirement.”

My small wins:

• Get inspired by how women are rebranding their retirement before bed tonight

• Check that I’m investing enough in my 401(k) to receive my employer match tomorrow after I sign into Slack

• Download a dream retirement journaling worksheet (free for Ellevest clients) next weekend

• Learn the difference between the most popular retirement accounts before next month

• Calculate my retirement number before the end of next month

How can I make small wins a financial habit?

1. Keep your running to-do list for the small wins you want to achieve. Since small wins are cumulative, you can add little things to your list all the time to keep your momentum going.

2. Keep a running “done” list, too. Reflecting on what you’ve done each day can help you learn from your small wins and keep that mood momentum going. (If you’ve got a gratitude journal going — which is also a great booster for your well-being — your “done” list can be part of that practice.)

3. Make room to recognize each one. No need for a champagne toast each time, but give yourself the pat on the back that you deserve.

4. Don’t compare your wins to others'. When we compare our small wins to what we see of others’ big milestones, it can make our progress feel tiny.

5. Don’t just look at your small wins as a series of baby steps along a straight line. They can be scattered. They can be about seeing an opportunity and taking it. They can be what you felt like doing that day. It all counts.

What are real-life examples of small wins?

Want to know what kinds of small wins other women are celebrating? Here are three real-life small wins submitted by members of the Ellevest community.

Need help identifying which small wins can help you hit your big goals? Book a free consultation with an Ellevest financial planner and start making progress right away.