Celebrating Small Wins as the Term Comes to a Close
Written by: Brenda Lawrence, 5th Year Health Science
Photo by: Melanie Rosillo Galvan on Unsplash
There's a version of success we all imagine at the start of a term - the big moments, the milestones, the perfectly planned memories. But looking back, that's not what stays with you.
It's the small wins. The unexpected ones. The ones no one else really sees, and maybe even you don't at first.
The Wins That Didn't Look "Big"
(Photo Source: Debby Hudson on Unsplash)
This term, some of my biggest wins didn't look big at all.
They looked like stepping outside my comfort zone and saying yes to something new, like doing a pitch competition, meeting incredible people, and learning more about myself than I expected. They also showed up in making time for creativity again, returning to the things that make me feel like me. And sometimes, they were as simple as slowing down enough to actually appreciate this chapter of my life: the campus, the routines, the in-between moments.
Because the truth is, the moments I remember most weren't the ones I planned. They were the random ones.
Watching movies with my roommate. Running into someone on campus. Unplanned hangouts that turned into core memories without warning.
Life Isn't Something You Schedule. It's Something You Notice
We put so much pressure on ourselves to have the "ideal" experience. To make it look a certain way. But if you just notice what's already here, you'll realize so many moments are already a win.
The best parts come when you stop trying to force them. When you're open. When you say yes. When you appreciate what's already in front of you instead of comparing it to something else.
The right people, the right moments, the feeling of this is where I belong; they don't arrive on a schedule. They show up unexpectedly. And somehow, that makes them even more meaningful.
Stepping Into What's Next
(Photo Source: https://westerngazette.ca/news/senate-to-recommend-navitas-to-board-of-governors/article_14e20eb9-2c67-4e0f-bb80-19a3efe7e04a.html)
The end of this term is different for me because I graduate.
As I come to the end of this chapter, I don't feel the need to make everything perfect, or plan the perfect goodbye. Because it was already, in all the moments that came before. I just feel grateful that I showed up, tried new things, stayed open, and appreciated it while I was in it.
When I leave, I know I'll miss this environment more than I realize right now. The people, the routines, the little moments that made up my everyday life. But I also feel at peace knowing I appreciated it as much as I could. I didn't rush through it; I lived in it.
So instead of feeling like I'm losing something, it feels like I'm stepping into what's next with no regrets, just gratitude and excitement for what's ahead.
It Really Does Move Faster Than You Think
Before you realize it, it becomes something you're looking back on.
The studying. The late nights and early mornings. The walks to campus. The bus rides. The Tim lines. The Spoke bagels. The moments in UCC, Weldon, the Entrepreneurship building, UC College.
All of it matters.
Look Again
(Photo Source: Brett Garwood on Unsplash)
Maybe that's the real power of celebrating small wins. It teaches you that your life isn't made up of just the big, defining moments; it's built in the everyday ones. The ones you almost overlook.
So if you feel like you didn't "do enough" this term, look again.
Look at how you showed up. Look at what you handled. Look at the moments that made you laugh and smile.
Because they count. And they'll be the memories you'll carry with you long after the term ends.
Experience all that you can. And trust that your life, exactly as it's unfolding, is already something worth celebrating.
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