The Daily Wins Habit: The Power of Small Wins Each Day

“Small wins are a way of practicing how to be more effective, but also how to savor life.” — Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit”

You can win each day, the Agile Way and master the art of daily victories.

I’d like to share with you a simple, but profound habit that can bring more clarity to your day and help you stay focused on your goals.

I call it the Daily Wins Habit, and it involves starting each day by identifying three achievable wins that you want to accomplish.

Over my 25-year journey at Microsoft, as a program manager at Microsoft, director of innovation at Microsoft, a leader of global teams on high-impact projects, and as high-performance coach, I’ve learned that staying focused and productive amidst the noise and distractions of daily life is a constant challenge.

That’s why I created the Daily Wins Habit.

I think of the Daily Wins Habit as mastering the art of daily victories. By prioritizing three achievable wins each day, I’m able to rise above the noise, create clarity, and infuse meaning into my daily to-do list.

The Daily Wins Habit doesn’t replace my to-do list, but rather gives it a sense of purpose and direction. And it’s not just for work – it’s a tool that can help you take charge of all aspects of your life, from personal goals to family commitments.

Whether you’re striving to achieve a big project milestone or simply looking to create a sense of accomplishment in your daily routine, the Daily Wins Habit can help you stay focused, motivated, and on track towards your goals.

What is the Daily Wins Habit?

The Daily Wins Habit is a productivity and goal-setting tool from Agile Results. It involves prioritizing three achievable wins each day, with the aim of channeling your energy and attention towards what truly matters.

The Daily Wins Habit doesn’t replace your to-do list, but rather gives it a sense of purpose and direction. It helps you identify three worthwhile achievements to aim for each day, creating a sense of accomplishment and momentum that can carry you through even the most challenging tasks.

By practicing the Daily Wins Habit, you can rise above the noise and distractions of daily life, create clarity in your day, and infuse meaning into your to-do list.

The Daily Wins Habit is a versatile tool that can be applied to all aspects of life, from personal goals to professional projects, and can help you stay focused, motivated, and on track towards your goals.

What are Your 3 Wins for Today?

The simplest way that I find my three wins each day to focus on, is I start my day with a simple question:

“What are your 3 Wins for Today?”

It’s a very simple question, but also a very powerful one.

With that one question, it forces me to prioritize and focus.

This focus will channel my time, energy, and attention.

It will help remind me what’s important throughout the day as distractions and disruptions come my way.

Asking myself what will be my 3 Wins for Today is one of the most powerful tools I have to practice my self-efficacy.

Best of all, by identifying 3 Wins for Today to focus on, I create a way to pull myself forward through my day.

This clarity creates energy, and this energy helps me handle whatever obstacles, challenges, or setbacks I will face.

And by using 3 Wins for Today, it helps me practice creating value, as well as learning what’s valued, by myself and others.

How To Practice the Daily Wins Habit

I’m going to explain doing the Daily Wins Habit with email, but you can use pen and paper or any digital notetaking method you prefer.

Here’s how it works:

Each morning, write yourself a new email titled “Today.”
In the email, list your three wins for the day at the top. These should be specific and achievable goals that will help you feel accomplished at the end of the day. You find your three wins for today, by simply asking yourself, “What are my 3 Wins for Today?”
Below your wins, list any appointments or meetings you have scheduled for the day. This helps you orient yourself to your schedule and gives you a sense of how your day might go.
Next, make a simple to-do list of tasks you need to accomplish that day.
Finally, under a “Reminders” heading, list out anything that’s on your mind that you don’t want to forget.

This process should take no more than 3-5 minutes, but it’s an incredibly effective way to “design your day” and start in a mindful way. By identifying your wins for the day, you’ll have a clear sense of what you want to accomplish, and you’ll be better equipped to deal with distractions and stressors that come up throughout the day.

Even if you never look at the email again, the act of organizing your thoughts and goals for the day can be incredibly empowering. And if you do start to feel overwhelmed, you can always check your email again to remind yourself of your wins and regain your focus.

The Daily Wins Habit is a simple but effective way to take control of your day and turn chaos into clarity. Give it a try and see how it works for you!

Example of the Daily Wins Habit

An example is worth 1,000 words. Here is a simple example of using the Daily Wins Habit:

=== Today ===

3 Wins

Backlog cleared
What is ESG, shipped
Draft of Two-Track Transformation

Appointments

9-10 – Rob on video insights
10-11 – Rick on AI for personalized leadership
11-12 – Manuel on sustainability project
1-2 – Peter on tools walkthrough

To Dos

Ship What is Innovation
Reorg Evernote
Test video with AI system
Assess Jeep with Tony
Review Keto insights

Reminders

Debug the firepit
Update Shaping Software
End trial for Shield
Experiment with Medum articles
Experiment with LinkedIn articles

Use 3 Wins to Win Your Day

The most important aspect of the Daily Wins Habit is to identify your 3 Wins for Today.

You can use different styles or formats to name and phrase your wins.

Here are some examples of how you could identify your 3 wins for the day:

Outcome-Based Wins: These are wins that are based on a specific outcome you want to achieve that day.

Close three new deals
Finish writing a blog post
Run five miles

Task-Based Wins: These are wins that are based on completing specific tasks or to-do items.

Complete project proposal
Respond to all urgent emails
Clean out the garage

Habit-Based Wins: These are wins that are based on building good habits and routines.

Meditate for 10 minutes
Drink 8 glasses of water
Stretch for 15 minutes

Self-Care Wins: These are wins that are based on taking care of yourself and your well-being.

Take a long bath
Read for 30 minutes
Go for a walk in nature

You could also frame your wins as “I will” statements, which can help you stay focused and committed to achieving them. For example:

I will make three sales calls before noon
I will complete all urgent tasks by 3pm
I will take a break every hour to stretch and move my body

Remember, your wins should be specific, achievable, and aligned with your overall goals and values. By identifying three wins for the day, you’ll have a clear sense of what you want to accomplish, and you’ll be more motivated to make progress towards your goals.

But What If You Want to Achieve More Than 3 Wins?

I created the phrase “3 Wins” to serve as a productivity and time-management technique that suggests focusing on achieving three main goals or tasks per day.

The idea is to prioritize these three things and accomplish them before moving on to anything else.

If you want to achieve more than three Wins, it’s essential to recognize that adding more goals could lead to a lack of focus, reduced productivity, and burnout.

Therefore, the best approach is to choose and prioritize your top three goals and focus your energy and attention on achieving them.

Once you’ve accomplished your three Wins, you can then move on to other tasks or goals that you may have.

It’s worth noting that the three Wins technique is not intended to limit your goals or aspirations, but rather to help you stay focused and increase your chances of success.

By setting clear priorities and focusing on the most important tasks, you can use your time more effectively and accomplish more in the long run.

3 Wins are Not Your To-Dos

By putting your three Wins at the top of your list and focusing on accomplishing them first, you can increase your productivity and feel a greater sense of satisfaction and accomplishment at the end of the day.

While a to-do list is a helpful tool to manage tasks, it can quickly become overwhelming if you try to accomplish everything on it.

The three Wins approach differs from a to-do list in that it prioritizes three critical tasks or goals that you want to achieve each day.

And the idea behind calling them “Wins” is to add the fun factor.

This is your best chance to design your day and figure out what your wins today will look like.

The Three Wins technique is designed to help you focus your attention and energy on the most meaningful and impactful tasks.

By prioritizing these three goals, you can ensure that you are using your time efficiently and effectively, without getting bogged down by a long list of tasks.

While you may still have a to-do list with other tasks, the three Wins should always come first, and you should make sure to complete them before moving on to other items.

This way, you can look back on your day with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that you have achieved the most critical tasks that will make a meaningful impact on your life or work.

The three Wins are not your to-do list, but a prioritization tool to help guide your efforts towards meaningful achievements.

Daily Wins is Part of Monday Vision, Daily Wins, Friday Reflection in Agile Results

The Monday Vision, Daily Wins, Friday Reflection is a productivity system introduced in Agile Results, which aims to help you set clear goals, stay focused, and continually improve their productivity.

The Daily Wins habit is a crucial part of this system, where you set three priority goals or tasks each day to help you focus your attention on meaningful achievements.

The Monday Vision habit involves setting clear, strategic goals and planning your week ahead, while the Friday Reflection habit involves reflecting on your week’s accomplishments, identifying areas for improvement and planning for the next week.

Together, these three habits create a productivity system that helps you stay focused, productive, and continually improve your performance.

Mastering the Art of Daily Victories

The practice of celebrating daily wins is a simple yet powerful habit that can have a profound impact on your overall well-being and sense of accomplishment.

By focusing on small victories and taking the time to acknowledge and savor them, you can build momentum, stay motivated, and cultivate a greater sense of purpose and meaning in your daily life.

Whether it’s finishing a project at work, completing a workout, or simply taking time to relax and recharge, every small win counts.

With practice, the daily wins habit can become an integral part of your self-care routine, helping you to stay resilient and focused even in the face of adversity.

So why not start celebrating your own daily victories today?

By doing so, you may just be surprised at how much more joy and fulfillment you can find in your daily life.

Agile Results Hub
3 Wins for Today
The Monday Vision Habit
The Friday Reflection Habit
Monday Vision, Daily Wins, Friday Reflection Explained
How To Use Monday Vision, Daily Wins, Friday Reflection
What Life is Like with Agile Results