Small Wins

Happy New Year! 🛎️ As we step into 2025, let’s talk about resolutions. There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big—“new year, new me” has a nice ring to it. But what if we told you that the real magic doesn’t come from radical transformation, but from the quiet power of small, intentional actions every single day?

Simon Sinek, in The Infinite Game, points out that success isn’t about winning—it’s about making consistent contributions toward progress. Success doesn’t need to be showy or instant. It’s the result of small efforts, repeated over time, stacking like bricks to form a foundation of growth.

Stephanie Harrison, author of The New Happy and a frequent collaborator with a small studio, echoes this beautifully. She challenges the belief that we’re static beings—just one version of ourselves. Instead, she suggests we’re in constant evolution, molded by our experiences and daily actions. The secret is to embrace this transformation and recognize the value of small steps that shape who we are.

The science is clear: tiny, consistent actions build momentum and lead to lasting change. Research from Harvard Business School’s Teresa Amabile revealed that small, daily progress boosts motivation and happiness. In her Progress Principle study, Amabile found that when individuals see evidence of incremental achievements—no matter how small—they experience an emotional uplift that drives them to keep going. It’s not about perfection; it’s about persistence.
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It’s not about perfection; it’s about persistence.

Another study from the University of California showed that gratitude exercises, like sending a kind text or reflecting on positive moments, measurably improve emotional well-being and relationships. Small actions ripple outward, creating compounding benefits over time.

Take Jerry Seinfeld, for example, who famously credits his success to a simple habit: writing jokes every day. He once shared his secret to productivity with a young comedian: get a wall calendar and mark off a big red X for every day you accomplish your goal. “After a few days, you’ll have a chain,” he explained. “Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. Your only job is not to break the chain.”

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“After a few days, you’ll have a chain, just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. Your only job is not to break the chain.”

This habit didn’t rely on grand leaps of creativity but on small, steady actions that compounded over time. Seinfeld’s daily commitment to writing jokes—good, bad, or in between—helped him build one of the most successful comedic careers of all time.

This philosophy of intentionality isn’t just something we admire—it’s woven into how we work. At a small studio, we created Identity Architecture to help individuals and organizations uncover who they are and who they aspire to become. It’s not a one-time discovery—it’s a daily practice, and why we often refer to our output as a Creative Operating System, which continues to evolve, but has foundational principles.

Identity Architecture is rooted in the idea that meaningful change happens incrementally. It invites people to reflect on their values, strengths, and impact as individuals and as a collective. Whether it’s the simple act of writing 100 words, taking 15 minutes to explore a design trend, or reaching out to someone you care about, these seemingly small actions define who we are.

Success isn't a single monumental leap.

As we move through 2025, let’s remember: success isn’t a single, monumental leap. It’s a series of steps—a quiet text to a friend, a longer hug, or five extra minutes of research on a topic you love. These actions may feel insignificant in isolation, but they’re anything but. They’re the seeds of transformation.

This year, we’re leaning into the philosophy of small wins. Not just as individuals, but as a studio. Each tiny effort contributes to a bigger picture, shaping the stories we tell, the identities we design, and the peace we strive to create.

So, take a small step today. Your future self is already grateful. And here’s the best part—you don’t have to do it alone. We’re right here with you, cheering you on.

Here’s to a year of intentional actions and compounded outcomes!

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