2024 has been a mix of ups, downs, successes, and lessons for many of us. Some days, you’ve felt like you were winning, while other days, challenges left you wondering if you were growing. The truth is that growth isn’t always straightforward, and sometimes it doesn’t appear as an obvious success.
If you are an entry-level job seeker just starting out, or a seasoned professional in sales, marketing, revenue operations or customer success, you probably faced moments where you questioned your progress. The good news? Every win, no matter how small, and every challenge, no matter how tough, can be turned into something valuable—if you take the time to reflect and learn.
Recently, a webinar hosted by Revsity brought together industry experts Grace Effom, Head of Enterprise at Lendsqr, and Chidi Okeke, Director, Sector Merchant Acquiring at Opay, who shared practical advice on how to recognise your wins, reflect on your lessons, and build momentum for an even better year ahead.
Listen to the entire event here 👆🏿
In this blog post, we’ll share the key takeaways and actionable tips they discussed so you can:
- Celebrate progress and stay motivated.
- Learn from challenges and improve.
- Build consistency without burning out.
If you experienced at least some success in 2024, despite the inevitable challenges, this blog will help you reflect on your journey, reset your focus, and achieve even greater things in the coming year.
Celebrate Small Wins—Why It Matters
You might spend too much time worrying about what you haven’t achieved. It’s easy to ignore the progress you’ve made because it doesn’t feel “big enough.” But as Grace Effiom reminded us, celebrating small wins is the secret to building confidence and staying motivated.
Here’s why small wins matter:
- They keep you motivated: Small achievements help you realise you’re making progress.
- They build momentum: When you celebrate progress, you feel encouraged to keep pushing forward.
- They help you identify strengths: Every small success shows you what works well so you can do more of it.
Imagine you’re in sales, and your monthly target is 20 new clients. If you managed to close 5 this month, it’s a step in the right direction. Ask yourself: What strategies worked to close those 5? Focus on improving them instead of feeling discouraged about the others.
How to Reflect and Identify What Works
Reflection is the bridge between where you are and where you want to be. Without reflection, it’s hard to know what’s working or what to improve.
Grace shared a simple method to reflect on your year:
- List out everything you tried: Did you test new tools, strategies, or routines? Write them down.
- Track what brought results: Which methods or habits led to success, even if it was small?
- Identify what didn’t work: Did you repeat mistakes? Were there strategies that wasted your time?
Let’s say you spent months posting on Facebook to get leads, but it didn’t work. Meanwhile, one referral brought you 10 leads. That’s a sign to focus on growing your referral network instead of repeating the same ineffective strategy.
Build Momentum Without Burning Out
Many professionals, especially in sales, wait until the end of the year to “rush” and hit their goals. This approach causes stress and often leads to burnout. Instead, focus on steady progress all year long.
Chidi Okeke offered these tips:
- Focus on the journey: Growth isn’t just about hitting big targets. The relationships, skills, and lessons you gain along the way are valuable rewards, too.
- Break down big goals: Divide yearly goals into smaller, weekly or monthly tasks. For example, aim to complete 1 small goal each week rather than everything at once.
- Trust the process: Success could take time. Stay patient and consistent, even if results aren’t immediate.
Chidi also mentioned that in his early career, he worked on a challenging sales project where results were slow. Instead of giving up, he focused on small wins—like building trust with clients—and eventually hit his targets. The key was patience and persistence.
Practical Advice for Entry-Level Job Seekers
If you’re starting your career, it’s easy to feel lost or unsure about what to do next. Here are practical tips to help you grow faster:
- Choose a company where you can learn: Early in your career, focus on gaining skills, not just chasing big salaries. Skills and experience will bring more opportunities later.
- Take responsibility for your growth: Ask for feedback, identify your strengths, and work on improving your weaknesses.
- Break big goals into smaller actions: For example, if your dream is to lead a sales team, start by learning how to qualify leads and close deals.
Reflect, Learn, and Grow
Every step you took in 2024—whether celebrating small wins to stay motivated, reflecting on your challenges to learn and improve, breaking overwhelming goals into smaller, consistent actions to avoid burnout, or prioritising growth by choosing opportunities to build skills and take ownership of your development—has been a valuable part of your journey.
By embracing patience, persistence, and continuous learning, you’ve laid a strong foundation for success, proving that progress, no matter how small, is the key to achieving bigger goals and unlocking your full potential in the years to come.
No matter where you are in your career, the journey is easier when you’re not alone. By joining the Revsity Community, you’ll find support, career resources, and opportunities to grow alongside like-minded professionals. Reflect, stay consistent, and trust that your small wins today will lead to greater success tomorrow.
Let 2024 be the year you build on your lessons, celebrate your progress, and unlock your full potential! 🚀
