161: The Mini-Victory Theory and 17 Mini-Wins You Can Get Today

Inspiration for this special Friday solo edition The Side Hustle Show comes from our first month of parenthood.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far: It’s ALL about the mini-victories. That’s really all there is at this point. I’m talking about stuff like:

• Talking this kid off the ledge when he’s inconsolable.
• Stealing an uninterrupted hour to sleep — or hustle.
• A feeding without projectile vomiting.

But that’s got me thinking, every BIG victory is built on the back of a ton of mini victories.

You don’t wake up one morning and win the Super Bowl. You win it one quarter at a time, one possession at a time, one down at a time, one yard at a time.

And before that, you had to have enough of those mini-victories throughout the season to even have the opportunity to play in the big game.

And before that, you had to have enough mini-victories in college to get drafted and stay healthy.

And before that, you had to have enough mini-victories in high school to get recruited and make the team.

We all want the BIG win; quit our jobs, passive income, early retirement, location-independence, whatever it is. But what’s the next mini win to help get us there?

What action can we take TODAY to move closer to that BIG win? That’s the Mini-Victory Theory.

These are about saving money, making your first sales, the proverbial low-hanging side hustle fruit, and some slight edge habits that can help move the needle over time. About half of these are mine and half are suggestions from members of the SH Nation Facebook group.

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17 Mini-Wins

1. Max out your 401k, at least up to company match – free money!

2. Buy discount gift cards.

Link: GiftCardGranny.com.

3. Get a rewards credit card.

Link: This Spending Habit Has Earned Me Thousands of Dollars in Free Money.

4. Create a Paribus Account.

(Disclosure: Paribus compensates us when you sign up for Paribus using the link above.)

5. When you go shopping, look for items to re-sell via ebay or Amazon FBA.

6. Find something free on Craigslist and re-sell it.

7. Start writing.

8. Set up a Clarity.fm profile.

Link: Clarity.fm: Start a $100 per Hour Consulting Business in 5 Minutes

9. Do ONE push-up.

Link: Mini Habits

10. Go on a news break.

11. Join a free FB group.

Link: SH Nation Facebook group

Link: Screw the 9-5 Community

12. Make a cold call or a send a cold email.

13. Use your natural unfair advantage. 

14. Develop a morning routine. 

15. Break your BHAG into the smallest possible pieces.

16. Take a moment for gratitude.

Link: The I Done This Challenge

17. Knock out the no-brainer tasks first thing in the morning.

Link: Finding Your Slight Edge

Big Thanks

Big thanks to Jeremy Dieghan, Brendan Quigley, Jennifer Leigh, Darryl Elvina, Andy McCabe, Dennis Smith, and Jack Hommer for your contributions to the community and to this episode!

Your Turn

I’d love to hear what your mini-victories are in the comments below. Have you implemented any of these already and seen some impact from it?