Resilience—Your Hidden Strength for Achieving the Impossible

Using Small Wins to Build Momentum and Reach Your Goals

Hey SuperDoc Community,

Have you ever found yourself giving everything you’ve got, but seeing little or no progress? It’s a frustrating feeling, one that leaves you questioning your abilities, your goals, and whether you can ever push through.

As a doctor working in high-stakes environments like the ICU, I’ve been there countless times. I’ve faced situations where no matter how much effort I put in, patient improvement seemed nonexistent. And in those moments, it’s easy to feel like giving up. But what I’ve discovered is this: emotional resilience isn’t about waiting for the big breakthroughs. It’s about recognizing the small victories and using them to build momentum.

Today, I want to explore how emotional resilience, rooted in celebrating those small wins, can help you achieve what feels impossible—whether in your career, your studies, or your personal life.

The Emotional Challenges We Face in High-Pressure Situations

High-pressure situations are a part of life—whether you’re working in a hospital, preparing for a competitive exam, or pursuing a long-term goal.

I’ve experienced this firsthand in the ICU, where I’ve worked with long-term patients who seemed stuck in their recovery. No matter how hard we worked, progress was slow or stagnant, and it felt emotionally draining. Similarly, during my NEET exam preparation, the pressure to improve my rank felt overwhelming. In both cases, it was easy to feel like my efforts were in vain and give up.

But here’s the thing: emotional resilience is what keeps you going, even when progress seems far off.

Take a moment to reflect on your own life. When have you faced challenges that seemed insurmountable? What was your emotional response in those moments? Did you push through, or did doubt start creeping in?

Recognizing the Small Wins and Building Momentum

It wasn’t until I started focusing on the small wins that I began to regain my emotional strength. Whether it was seeing a patient’s slight improvement in their ventilator requirements or hitting a small milestone in my exam prep, I realized that progress doesn’t always come in big leaps.

The small victories became my secret weapon for resilience. They helped me shift from feeling stuck to feeling empowered. Each small step forward reminded me that I was on the right track.

What about you? What small victories have you achieved lately that you haven’t acknowledged? Think about moments in your life where progress has been incremental. Have you given yourself credit for those steps?

Using Physical Anchors to Reinforce Resilience

One technique that has worked wonders for me is the use of physical anchors. Each time I celebrated a small win, I would clench my fist as a way to reinforce the success and anchor that positive emotion. It may sound simple, but it kept me emotionally energized.

By anchoring your small victories to a physical action—a gesture, a word, or even a moment of gratitude—you can build emotional resilience and remind yourself that progress is happening, even if it’s not immediate.

What could your physical anchor be? Think about a way you can acknowledge your wins, no matter how small.

Emotional Balance Through Daily Habits

Resilience doesn’t come from just celebrating wins; it also comes from maintaining emotional balance through daily habits. For me, it’s about starting the day with a reflection on the victories ahead and ending the day with gratitude. These habits help me stay grounded, no matter how difficult the day has been.

If you integrate small practices like morning reflections and nightly gratitude into your routine, you’ll find that your emotional energy remains more stable, even in the face of challenges.

How could daily reflection and gratitude shift your emotional state? Consider what impact these habits could have on your ability to maintain resilience.

Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection

At the end of the day, resilience is about celebrating progress, not perfection. It’s about finding strength in the small wins and building emotional energy to keep moving forward, even when the road feels long.

So, here’s my challenge to you: take a moment each day this week to acknowledge one small victory. It could be anything—completing a task, overcoming a small challenge, or even just sticking to a routine. Anchor that victory, and let it fuel your emotional resilience.

Resilience is your hidden strength for achieving the impossible. Use it to stay grounded, stay balanced, and keep moving toward your goals.

Reflect on a small victory from your own life—whether it’s in your career, studies, or personal growth. How did it make you feel? How can you celebrate that win and use it to build momentum for the future?

Stay balanced and take care of yourself.

Dr. Krishna Bharath