Ever notice how once you start making progress, everything just feels easier?
Your confidence goes up, your habits feel smoother, and you start to feel like the kind of person who actually follows through on your goals.
That’s not a coincidence. It’s psychology—and it’s powerful.
Why Small Wins Matter So Much
The more small wins you experience—daily checkmarks, tiny goals completed, progress made—the more you start to believe in yourself.
You build trust with you.
And that matters, because how you see yourself drives how you behave.
If you believe you’re someone who shows up, finishes what you start, and figures things out… you’ll keep doing those things.
But Here’s the Problem…
If you constantly feel like you’re trying things and they’re just not working, it chips away at your confidence.
Eventually, you start identifying with the struggle:
“I can never stick with it.”
“I always fall off.”
“This stuff never works for me.”
And if that identity sets in, it becomes a self-fulfilling cycle. You stop pushing forward. You quit early. You don’t give yourself the chance to get better at it—because you’ve already convinced yourself you can’t.
That’s why early wins are everything.
Mice Wrestling in a Tube (Stay With Me Here)
There’s this fascinating study called the Tube Dominance Test.
Researchers placed two mice inside a narrow tube—just enough room for one to pass. Naturally, they push against each other until one mouse backs out.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting:
- Mice who won their first match went on to win about 80–90% of future matches.
- Mice who lost their first match? They won just 10–20% of the time afterward.
They call this the “winner effect” and “loser effect.” Winning early builds confidence and momentum. Losing early does the opposite.
You might think, “Well… maybe it’s just the bigger mice winning.”
But nope—size didn’t matter.
It was all about the belief and energy that followed the first outcome.
So What’s This Got to Do with Your Fitness Goals?
Everything.
Most people set big, long-term goals:
- Lose 30 pounds
- Build a six-pack
- Eat clean all the time
- Work out every single day
Those aren’t bad goals. But if you don’t break them into smaller, achievable milestones, it’s way too easy to feel like you’re failing before you ever really start.
When that happens, your motivation drops… and your chance of hitting that goal drops right along with it.
But when you choose goals that let you build momentum—
- Go for a walk after dinner
- Get to the gym twice this week
- Add one veggie to your meals today
—You start creating a track record of success.
You see that you’re capable. You feel progress. You gain confidence.
And that confidence multiplies.
The Takeaway:
- Start small.
- Set yourself up to succeed.
- Build a streak of small wins that reinforce your progress.
- Don’t let a few missteps shape your story.
It’s not about being perfect—it’s about choosing goals that help you believe in your ability to keep going.
And maybe next time you’re doubting yourself, remember: even a mouse can build confidence and crush challenges… as long as it gets that first win.
If you need some help with getting that first win, setting that first attainable goal, or getting back at it after some “failures” we’ve got you.
CrossFit Formidable has been helping people navigate their health, strength and fitness journey for over a decade now and we pride ourselves on always working to be the best gym in Canby.
