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Small Wins, Big Momentum · PTT Music Podcast

• 0:21
  ...I was looking back through this massive stack of notebooks from last year,
• 0:25
  and I, I realized something kind of embarrassing, Jordan.
• 0:30
  I used to think that unless I wrote a full song or finished a huge project in a
• 0:35
  single sitting, the day was basically a waste.
• 0:39
  Oh, I, I think every creator falls into that trap.
• 0:43
  It is that all or nothing mindset, right?
• 0:46
  Right!
• 0:47
  But then I started digging into this famous Harvard study from 2011 by Teresa
• 0:51
  Amabile and Steven Kramer.
• 0:54
  They tracked nearly 12,000 daily diary entries.
• 0:58
  Twelve thousand!
• 0:59
  From 238 knowledge workers across 26 project teams in 7 different companies.
• 1:06
  Wait, 12,000 diary entries?
• 1:09
  That is, that is a mountain of data.
• 1:12
  What were they actually looking for in all those journals?
• 1:15
  They were looking at what they called inner work life...
• 1:19
  what actually drives daily motivation and mood.
• 1:23
  And the big takeaway was that making progress in one's work even incremental
• 1:28
  progress, is more frequently associated with positive emotions than anything else.
• 1:34
  On top tier motivation days, making progress in meaningful work was present 76
• 1:40
  percent of the time.
• 1:42
  Seventy six percent?
• 1:45
  Wow.
• 1:46
  So it wasn't huge bonuses or massive finish lines.
• 1:50
  It was just...
• 1:51
  moving the needle even a tiny bit?
• 1:54
  Exactly.
• 1:55
  Just small, incremental wins.
• 1:58
  But here is the kicker...
• 2:00
  the asymmetry of setbacks.
• 2:03
  Amabile found that negative events, like a stall or a setback,
• 2:08
  hit about 3 to 4 times harder emotionally than a positive win.
• 2:12
  Three to 4 times harder...
• 2:16
  man, that explains so much.
• 2:18
  You can have three great little victories during the morning,
• 2:22
  and then one unexpected email or a stuck line of dialogue at two in the afternoon
• 2:27
  just...
• 2:28
  drains the whole tank.
• 2:30
  It completely derails your momentum if you don't intentionally guard against it.
• 2:35
  That is actually why I started keeping what I call a micro win log during creative
• 2:40
  blocks.
• 2:41
  If I am feeling completely stuck, I force myself to do a 10 minute brainstorming
• 2:46
  session, and I write down, um, literally just one good line or one chord
• 2:52
  progression.
• 2:53
  And that 10 minute burst actually flips the switch?
• 2:57
  It really does!
• 2:59
  It counteracts that heavy self doubt before it freezes you in place,
• 3:03
  because you have written proof that you made progress, even if it was tiny.
• 3:08
  That micro win log idea is incredible, Ava, because it ties right into what Amabile
• 3:15
  calls the Catalyst and Nourisher framework.
• 3:18
  Basically, catalyst events are clear actions that directly move work forward,
• 3:24
  while nourishers are things like encouragement or tone setting that fuel your
• 3:28
  spirit.
• 3:29
  A catalyst event...
• 3:32
  so pairing an actual trigger with immediate recognition.
• 3:36
  How do you practically build that into a busy day, though?
• 3:40
  Well, for me, it is all about what I call the auditory catalyst.
• 3:45
  Music is the ultimate trigger.
• 3:47
  When I need to kickstart momentum on a task I have been dodging,
• 3:51
  I drop on a high tempo, driving track from PTT Music, something like "Create" or
• 3:57
  "Dive."
• 3:59
  Oh, "Create" and "Dive" are such a vibe.
• 4:02
  They have that immediate energy right from the first beat.
• 4:05
  Exactly!
• 4:07
  That dynamic sound becomes a sonic catalyst.
• 4:11
  It signals to my brain, okay, for the duration of this track,
• 4:15
  we are in a 5 minute action burst.
• 4:17
  No distractions, no second guessing, just pure movement.
• 4:22
  You turn the track into a literal timer for progress.
• 4:25
  That is so smart because it removes the dread of starting a huge project.
• 4:31
  You are not committing to three hours of grueling work, just five minutes of action.
• 4:36
  Precisely.
• 4:38
  And once you finish that five minute sprint, you record the win,
• 4:42
  acknowledge the progress, and boom...
• 4:44
  you have established a positive feedback loop for the whole afternoon.
• 4:48
  I love that.
• 4:50
  In fact, why don't we throw down a challenge for everyone listening right now?
• 4:55
  Oh, I am so ready.
• 4:57
  Let us do it.
• 4:58
  What is the challenge?
• 4:59
  It is the 5 Minute Progress Challenge.
• 5:02
  Pick one lingering micro task today...
• 5:06
  just one thing you have been putting off.
• 5:08
  Put on an energizing track like "Create" or "Dive," execute it immediately,
• 5:15
  and log that win.
• 5:17
  Again, thanks for spending this time with us on the PTT Music Podcast.
• 5:22
  We hope today's conversation left you inspired, encouraged,
• 5:26
  and ready to carry that energy with you wherever life takes you.
• 5:30
  I'm Jordan Sterling...
• 5:31
  and I'm Ava Brooks.
• 5:32
  We'll see you next time for another conversation that celebrates creativity,
• 5:37
  purpose, and the power of music.
• 5:40
  If you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love for you to continue the journey with us.
• 5:45
  Visit PTTMusic.com to explore our latest music, official videos,
• 5:50
  exclusive merchandise, artist updates, and much more.
• 5:54
  You can also stream PTT Music on your favorite music platforms.
• 5:58
  And be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with
• 6:03
  someone who could use a little inspiration today...
• 6:06
  Until next time, keep moving forward.
• 6:09
  And let the PTT Music continue to move you closer to who you truly are.