It’s the little things in life that matter. Have you ever heard that phrase before?
We usually hear it when we miss out on something big and feel discouraged. Other times, it’s a friend trying to cheer us up, or simply something we tell ourselves to put things back into perspective.
Little, simple, straightforward things aren’t only important in life’s events; they’re also important when it comes to improving ourselves.
When we practice, we improve a little every day. Over time, that small progress can lead to massive gains. But when we boil it down, those gains took time and effort. You can’t improve monumentally overnight.
You don’t train for a triathlon for one day and suddenly become ready to compete. You start small. Maybe you run a couple of miles one day, bike the next, and swim on the third. Every day, you make sure you get your workout in, or get the rest your body needs.
Day after day, you continue.
Because you improved incrementally, when the date on the calendar arrives, you’re ready.
The same applies to almost everything we want to accomplish in life.
You are shaped by your habits and actions. Those small daily actions are what build you. You get a little bit better every day because your daily routines and positive habits stack up.
Regardless of how small or insignificant an action may seem, it is still adding up. It is not nothing.
Those actions are what bring you closer to your goal. They are the road. They are the process.
As Ryan Holiday puts it:
“This is why today and every day you need to focus on those little things—the habits, the discipline, the refusal to make excuses. No single action seems significant as it occurs, but over time they accumulate.”
What you do every day shapes your future and, eventually, how you see yourself.
A runner runs.
A writer writes.
A painter paints.
The things you repeatedly do become part of who you are.
This is why you shouldn’t underestimate the small decisions you make every day. Going for the run. Writing the paragraph. Reading the page. Practicing the skill. Choosing to do the difficult thing instead of making an excuse.
One action may not seem like much.
But do it tomorrow.
And then the next day.
And the day after that.
Track your decisions and what you do every day, then look at how far you’ve come after a month, six months, or a year.
You’ll be amazed at how much one decision a day can change your life over the course of a year.
Little progress every day can eventually lead to huge leaps.
Take care.
