Hi, my name is Katie, and this year I…proceeds to insert an accomplishment printed on a stick, which you then put on a celebratory end-of-the-year cake. Don’t forget that you will be filming yourself for social media. You’ve seen this trend on TikTok and Instagram where someone films themselves with a celebratory 2026 cake and candles to mark their accomplishments for the year, which they then announce to the world with pride. All of these accomplishments range from buying a home, completing their first year of motherhood, finishing a year abroad, and reading one hundred books. The list goes on. Each win is something that they’ve set out to achieve, to put their name on and check a box on their life list.

Most of the celebratory cake signs I’ve seen are large and grandiose accomplishments. Ones that are no easy feat and deserve to be celebrated. Scrolling and seeing all of these proclamations really gives you perspective. Very few, if at all, look at the small wins that are had each day, mind you that each person’s definition of a win will be different than the next. Sometimes it feels instead of really celebrating with others and their achievements, you are trying to top what made their year so special. Social media can be a crockpot of Campbell’s soup. It might look aesthetically pleasing, homemade and delicious but really it’s canned soup disguised for pictures online. 

I reflected on this trend differently. Instead of what grandiose accomplishment I could choose from this past year, what meant more to me were my small wins that would be lost and insignificant in the world of social media. For me, it’s getting my son out the door in time or making sure I make him and I lunches all week or that we read at least one book each night. For a long time, it was the smallest of tasks that I would include on my celebration cake. What are these small tasks you ask? Putting in and folding a load of laundry all by myself (win), walking up 1 flight of stairs unassisted (win), sitting down for a meal at a table for more than 5 minutes long (double win if I could keep myself upright without leaning and putting my head on the table). These were considered huge wins for me, life-changing. Life-changing because it meant I was building strength and getting better, slowly but surely. I wasn’t stuck in this post-recovery cloud, not advancing but also not falling behind. Each day brought more wins, then weeks, followed by months. It’s sometimes easier to look at the big picture or the bigger accomplishments as they stand out more than the small everyday tasks you will overlook or not seem as flashy.

For me, it’s been the small wins that shine in my memory bank. Each small win was initially mount Everest. I look back on the times, which were huge wins for me and allow me to reflect on how far I’ve come. My first day back from work, even if it was for only a half day, was monumental. I napped all afternoon afterwards unsure if I would ever overcome the exhaustion but I still did it. Moving from half days to full days was overwhelming. I didn’t think I would ever successfully complete another full day of work and not be slumped over the steering wheel coming home in order just to keep my head up, then proceed to head straight to bed and sleep until I had to do it the next day. 

I would come home in tears every single day for the first two weeks as I didn’t know how I was physically and mentally going to be able to move forward. My body felt like a bucket of rocks so heavy I didn’t have enough strength to move. I pushed forward and I did it, each day became easier. Just like folding laundry. I might not have been able to fold the entire basket, but I added a piece of clothing at a time. I might not have been able to sit through all of my son’s soccer and hockey games but each week became easier and I was able to sit a little longer, stay a little longer, ultimately making it through entire games. There was a time that I never thought that I would ever take a shower and not nap the rest of the day or even make it through an entire day without breaking down in tears of exhaustion, which up until recently was a daily occurrence. 

This year I celebrate my 2025 cake with many small mountains that I’ve climbed:

• Walking up 3 flights of stairs
• Not needing a nap every afternoon
• Mastering 3 loads of laundry in a day AND folding 
• Sitting through an exam without any aids or the need for extended time
• Sitting for an entire soccer and hockey game
• Being able to blow-dry my hair on my own
• Carpet/Rugs (if you know, you know)
• Putting up and taking down Christmas decor
• Walking to the mailbox and back
• Walking to the end of my street and back
• Driving home by myself without resting my head on the steering wheel
• Putting on my socks and pants all by myself
• Sitting in a chair upright for more than 15 minutes

I’m sure there are more but these are always at the top of my mind. If I weren’t able to conquer these, who knows where I would be, or what mountains I would be staring up at. Probably still looking at the mountain of towels thinking who invented folding anyways – take from the top of the clean pile. 

Sometimes it’s the quieter accomplishments that are the loudest. The ones that if the average person blinks they would miss it, but to you, it becomes tattooed on your forehead life. 

Don’t be afraid to count your small wins. Each small win adds up to make your life even larger.