Today I read a great post by Chris Brogan titled Success is Made of Little Victories (image by lintmachine).
“Everything we do to be successful comes from little victories. When someone takes notice of our success, it looks like something big. It feels like one big moment. But always, and I mean always, it comes from a series of little victories. Look at the successes you’ve had. Did they all come at once? Or did you build up from nowhere to somewhere to somewhere better to a quick fallback to a new success, and then pow? Right.”
Chris isn’t writing specifically about blogging with the rest of his post – but he’s describing what I’ve heard many successful bloggers talk about when they look back on how they’ve grow their blogs.
The Victories in the early days of blogging are often very ‘little’:
- getting your blog set up
- writing your first post (and overcoming the ‘this is weird’ feeling)
- getting your first comment (usually from a friend)
- getting your first comment from a stranger
- being linked to by another blogger
These victories may indeed be ‘little’ – but they each are significant and can (and do) lead to growth, opportunity and ultimately bigger victories.
The Toughest Question I Get Asked
I am often asked about the ‘tipping point’ in my blogging – that moment where something happened where my blog went to the next level.
The problem with this question is that there was no such moment for me. I’ve no doubt that other bloggers will identify key events that ‘tipped’ their blog in terms of success – but for me it’s been much more of an evolution or chain of events – a series of little victories if you like.
The key for me has been in using the victories to build momentum towards the next victory rather than seeing them as an end point.
The Key is to Use the Little Victories to Create Momentum
Over the years I’ve learned that each time I have a ‘little victory’ that I need to look for how that victory might be used to propel me forward towards the next one.
This might sound a little ‘new age’ but the way I see it is that victories create ‘energy’. When we have them we as bloggers feel energised and inspired but other opportunities often open up which can be taken advantage of to spring to the next level.
An Example – I remember the feelings associated with the first time I was mentioned in mainstream media. A citywide newspaper here in Melbourne ran a short spot (and it was only 30-40 words) in their tech section about my blog (it was a ‘blog of the week’ type column – a tiny screenshot, the link and a few words).
Despite the smallness of the spot I was completely over the moon with the mention – it was something I could show my parents (to prove I wasn’t a complete lunatic for spending all my time blogging) and it just made me feel good to get that kind of acknowledgement. I was energised and inspired and it gave me a personal boost of momentum to keep growing my blog – however it also created a number of other opportunities.
Here’s what followed:
- I emailed the journalist to thank him for the mention and to offer any help if he ever needed the opinion of a blogger. This in itself led to being quoted in 5-6 future articles and in the long term a longer feature article about my blog.
- I used that small mention in the newspaper to reach out to a radio station where I was in the next week interviewed about my blogging.
- A couple of months later I was approached by someone who had heard the radio interview to speak at a local conference.
- I used speaking at that conference as an example of what I could do when pitching an overseas conference organiser – this turned into my first paid speaking gig.
- At that event (in the US) I met 3-4 bloggers who I’ve either entered into partnerships with, employed or built fruitful relationships with.
I could continue to follow the sequence of events to other opportunities that came.
Some of the opportunities were things that came a little out of the blue (like someone who heard the radio spot ringing to ask about the conference) while others were more about me taking initiative (like me contacting the radio station) – however none of them would have happened without the first little victory.
The key is to celebrate your little victories but not to let the celebration of them get in the way of where you’re headed next.
An Anti-Example – a few years back I witnessed one blogger do the exact opposite of what I’m talking about. He’d built his blog up to be a fairly successful blog and was approached by another company who wanted to acquire it. He accepted the six figure offer and was quite naturally over the moon about it.
I remember chatting with him after the sale and him saying that he was going to take some time off before starting another project. I wondered at the time whether it was a wise move. Sure he’d made some nice money from the sale but it wasn’t enough to set him up for life and I wondered whether there was opportunity in selling his blog to announce the next thing. The sale had created some great buzz and talk around the blogosphere – but he then went and took a year off.
When he came back to blogging with his next project the buzz had died down completely and all momentum that he’d had was gone. While I understand the need to take time off I wonder what would have happened if he’d announced the next project alongside the sale of his first blog – if the victory he’d had had been leveraged to bounce him toward the next victory.
Further Reading:
I’ve come back to this theme a number of times over the years. Back in 2007 I wrote about it for the first time in two posts – Blogs as Launching Pads (in which I shared my own sequence of launching projects from what I’d already built) and in How to Leverage Your Blog for bigger Things (some more ‘how to’ stuff).
Early this year I wrote Leverage What You Have and Take Your Blog to the Next Level as part of my Principles of Successful Blogging series.
What little victories have you had recently?
About Darren Rowse
My name is Darren Rowse and I’m a full time Blogger making a living from blogs like 
Chris,
You are so right about this – I think remaining humble through your series of successes and milestones is also key here. Don’t let your head get so big that you think you’ve arrived, because the moment you do that – you’ll stop working as hard as you did before. We must always remain humble and hungry for more success.
So true, but it is also made of small loses and a victories again.
When I reached my 400 subscribers treshold, the day after it there were less and the day after, more again! Blogging means small steps, little victories. Great post!
yes, getting some extra subscribers … a few days with stats going up … a little more adsense revenue on a special day .. and most important thing that makes me happy, More Comments !
Blogging success is what everybody dreams of but only a few get to really know it. I understand that there are steps to follow and ride each small wave until we get to the big one. I started out small and am still working on for that success. It is paying off as I’m starting to get mentioned in a closed community. Problem for me, I can’t seem to reach the larger community. I’m really bookmarking your advice grabbing all opportunities and staying focussed on the generated buzz. Cheers for that!
Thanks for that post! I’m in the beginning stages and I know what you’re talking about. I was excited when the first stranger stumbled upon my site, comment, and linked. Now I’m waiting for the next big thing. Who knows what that is, but we shall see!
Great article, and so encouraging! As I approach the one year mark, I keep wondering if something “big” is going to happen. I have seen steady growth, and keep working it. Good to know I don’t have to hold my breath for some magical thing to take me to the next level.
Nice post. I was very happy in early days, but as people started realizing the authority and worth of information, other bloggers are copying posts, data, and analysis without acknowledging.
Dont know how to deal with that.
True, Blogging is of little victories, but also small loses. But you may gain a vast knowledge. By hard work, blog can go higher step by step. Blogging is very useful for building network of new friends.
Love this about ‘little victories’.
Using my blog as a serious platform and I keep on doing the next right thing and following all the advice…. have only been going for 6 weeks so still building traffic slowly, but focus on the quality of what I publish and keep an attitude of glass half full rather than glass half empty.
Enjoy your posts and advice immensley.
Hey Chris,
Yes, it does feel good when you get the blog up, get that post out after typing it for hours, and when that first comment comes. It just makes you wanna do cartwheels all day.
I take that feeling and apply it everyday to my blog.
Thanks!
Josh
Daren, momentum is definitely what we need to stay motivated and keep going and I love your approach of using momentum to start new projects and grow the current ones bigger. Great tips as always!
I totally understand, Darren and Chris.
It was a great day when I came across that someone had linked to one of my articles on a forum, using my advice from my article trying to help others.
A few weeks later a forum admin seen that article on that forum contacted me and asked me if he could pay me to help administrate his forum.
Not as big as others but In my opinion still in the same concept.
Oh good, I’m not alone! Reading your list of ‘little victories’ reminded me that, despite what some of my friends say, I am completely normal. To a lot of poeple, blogging/social media, is just a joke. I know, you know, and these other commenters know that isn’t the case. I always feel like such a loser when I have an ‘online victory’- a post that gets a lot of comments, comments from strangers, a good day on Twitter with lots of interactions, etc. But it’s good to know I’m not alone here!
Definitely an interesting idea. I think that we have many small victories and we often forget that these small victories are the things that are planting the seeds for success. One thing I realize is that if we guest post on popular blogs (with more traffic than our own) it’s a great opportunity to build a relationships with the commenters by reaching out to them. While it might be time consuming, reaching out to the 5-6 bloggers who commented on your post, might mean 5-6 loyal readers.
Good sharing of your experience and solid advice Darren.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb recommends to maximize your own exposure to “black swans” (Highly improbable events that have immense consequences)… Blogging is one of these leveraged exposures.
Good insights for your friend at the sale of his blog, you knew at that moment what needed to be done!
Fred
Well, little victories do give you the courage and power to move forward with all your strength.
I’m a full time practicing doctor now blogging and my patients don’t always understand why I do it. For me it’s these little victories and the adventure that may ensue. I love looking at Google Analytics to see how people found me, where in the world they live and what content interested them. Better yet, if they leave a comment or buy the skin care products I’ve so passionately assembled, I get a real ‘pat on the back’.
Also, blogging is creatively rich for me because I love skin care, natural health and all the stuff I blog about. When I add my belief that serendipitous adventure comes IF your open to it, then every little victory holds the promise of something new.
Cynthia Bailey MD
http://www.otbskincare.com/blog/
Darren, this post came at an opportune time as I’m working on exercising my own leverage skills with a new blog. Your own posts were very helpful just now, thank you. They will help with my thoughtwrestling. I’m more and more convinced that you need to keep looking ahead and planning your future moves.
My blog is a research blog so my victories occur when I find research that validates my belief.
It doesn’t hurt when I see an increase in visitors per day or an increase in SERP from google webmaster tools. Even if they don’t click on my link, I still make an “impression” which makes them more comfortable with my site.
A new site has nowhere to go but up!
As young bloggers we can relate to some of this as well. We all want our blogs to become resources for other people but timing is very important. Use that time to build content. Nothing beats that.
I’ve read it and heard it in a way that is called the slight edge. Little victories compounded over time is what creates successful outcomes. The same can be said for an unfavorable result. It’s the compounded effect of not doing the steps that lead to little successes that cause not having the results you really desire.
It’s not eating the one big mac that causes the heart attack but the succession of eating 1 every day for the past 20 years that does it.
The results of your blogging career or whatever your endeavor is rests upon the choices we make everyday to educate ourselves, the actions we implement and our attitudes around how we rebound in our setbacks.
Great article!
It’s true, when I became a “YouTube” partner, I thought this is it – the big time!… But it still builds slowly with little bonuses along the way…
I’ve yet to show my parents something they can understand like a big cheque or a newspaper article but I’m certain that I’m way ahead of someone that decides to start a blog today and that’s the key to this game, keep feeding the site!…
Thanks
David Edwards
I can remember of two small steps that were big victories:
– my first recurrent commenter
– my first “real life” meeting with a reader / fellow blogger
And this night, my blog should get its 300.000th hit :-)
Chris, this is amazing post. Just look at the fact that these are the occassions we do face and never botheres about seeting such little milestones for future like first 100 comment, first 100 backlinks etc. But you have targeted a routein behaviour of bloggers. Congrats.
It really is the little things in life that mean so much. That’s why breaking things down into bite sized pieces is so much better than trying to eat the whole thing. It’s one step at a time. And of course, that step is forward… :)
I really appreciate this post Darren. I like how you laid out your small victories and how the y slowy grow on each other. Without the first, there cannot be the second and so on.
Especially in such a competitive niche as small business, it is nice to get a slight slap back to reality and understand that it will take baby steps to move a mountain and to create any kind of business worth its salt.
-Joshua Black
The Underdog Millionaire
I really have to say I love this post. It can’t be more true than this about anything in life. It is in the moment we are recognized by the masses that we have a feeling that we made it, but behind the scenes there has been a hell of a lot that went into it. Using that media attention is crucial to keep the momentum going and building on top of that. Enjoyed reading the example as well. Thanks again both to Chris and Darren.
The small victories are definitely meant to inspire your drive to achieve more and bigger things. The small loses are just opportunities for you to learn.
Great article and very inspiring for young bloggers like myself. Thanks
In addition to recognizing the smaller yet equally important victories, I also take note of them in my pad and try to recall them during my free time. This helps me become more motivated and it serves as a way to focus on what to do next and what to improve.
Very good post. As I noted in my blog post today, this is one of the topics I frequently cover with clients when coaching them at the early stages of social media training.
Great post. I really see why people should be afraid. Treat it as a passion project and do as Nike does…Just Do It.
Don’t wait until your site if perfect. It will never be perfect. You will always be tweeking. Get that first post out there and set a schedule.
Little victories.
Cheers!
I like this post. I had my first comment from a stranger today and it was a great feeling knowing my post was good enough for someone to take time out of their day and make a comment. It definitely helps with momentum.
Thanks Darren. This is exactly the type of positive message I needed to hear today. I have had all of those first little victories and celebrated them as well as used them as opportunities to learn and grow from them.
The story about getting your first media coverage made me smile! I need to work towards that, as I need something to show my husband so he doesn’t think I’m crazy for spending all my time blogging! ;)
Thanks again for sharing and giving back to the blogger community!
I couldn’t agree more with Kiesha. I think it’s really important not to be carried too much by our success once we reach it because success, just like education, is a never ending process. The more we know, the more we don’t know (you recognize that there’s still more to learn and humility plays a vital part in the process). Success also varies depending on how one perceives it so even if you’re accomplishing little things but you feel good about what you do, that is already a definition of success.
A friend of mine was trying to explain to me a fundamental concept of business: a business must always be in a state of growth to survive.
I asked her, “Why can’t a business reach a level of equillibrium, a plateau in which it generates a comfortable amount of revenue.”
She replied: “A plateau in growth for a business is, essentially, no different than a medical life sign monitor with a flat line. Any business that plateaus is doomed.”
It was a hard concept to accept. So she expanded.
“The problem… there is always something chipping away at your business. Costs are going up. Competitors infiltrate your market. New tech obsolesces your product. Any number of unforeseeable factors are constantly undercutting the state of your business. Not only does your business need to be on a path of constant growth, it has to grow at a rate significantly faster than all the factors busily chipping away at it.”
I can look back at a couple startups that I brought to some more, or less, comfortable level of income. Believing I’d obtained that glorious state of “passive income”, I became passive. Might as well have unplugged the life support.
well, i guess the hardest thing is to make the posts being linked by other blogs :-)
I remember getting my first comment, was a great little victory and spurred me on even more. no point in getting carried away, but every little victory makes me a little happier and more importantly, confident.
Chris,
thanks for sharing. Momentum – that’s the most important word. Use it or you loose it. One can take off, when ther’s no momentum, but when you have one, you must use it.
Greetings from Germany,
JNj.
First pagerank, comments, little traffic helps to keep momentum of work going on a new blog.
I had a blog post that went viral. It took me by surprise because it was something I fired off quickly during a busy week. It was a great feeling to see so many people comment and pass the link on, even if they didn’t all appreciate my viewpoint.
Totally, one small victory leads to another. Ride the energy. I remember when Lonely Planet first approached asking if they could feature the blog on their site. Wow. And when readers began emailing explaining that certain stories touched them–that’s what it was about. And it continues and who knows…
You never know when the little victory will come or what it will lead to. You’re never quite certain which blog post will catch fire or die on the vine. What you do know is that blogging is a lot of hard consistent work and if you are true to your focus it will pay off. – one post at a time! Keep on keepin’ on.
Darren, I love this post. I read every comment and although I am not a blogger (online gift shop owner), the same principles apply.
I tend to get carried away though. The first time someone signed up for my “insider sales” newsletter, I was so excited that I wanted to start planning a vacation to spend all the money I would make.
After the little victory, reality comes a knockin”.
I’ve had two victories, and my blog is relatively new. The first is that a well known veterinarian who does a lot of TV appearances e-mailed to tell me he has subscribed to my blog. I blog about pets and wildlife. And I just had my first speaking engagement!
I got a Digg! Oh my God, I got a Digg.
…definitely a motivating Little Victory!
I strongly agree. I’ve tried dozens of sites promising instant
great traffic and almost all did’nt work. You really have to crawl.
Darren,
You raised some interesting points. I have never been good at celebrating successes and we need to do that because small successes lead to bigger successes. Recently, I commented on a blog and they used my comment in a round up post which was actually quite nice.
Recently people have been finding my work (blog included) and have been asking me to be a leader on a teleseminar and I have also been interviewed and I need to celebrate.
Perhaps, I should have a post-it-note on my computer to celebrate small wins and generate the energy to propel me forward.
Thank you for all that you do!
Avil Beckford
A very insightful post. I completely agree with it. I too remember the first time when someone reached my site from searching on Google. I was positively over the moon :)
Little Victory: Deciding to take my YouTube Channel plans and develop them into a full blog. I bought domain names, hosting, and a theme and have started designing the blog!
PQ – Loving the little victories!
Wow. This is amazing. I mean, I never realized blogging as a success or any victory but now I guess I could see how we can motivate ourselves to get better success by appreciating ourselves through little victories.
Yep, getting myself in blogging world is a victory that I’d achieved in my life!