Tiny Changes, Massive Results
The circumstance you find yourself in today is the result of all the tiny decisions you’ve been making throughout your life. And if everyone knows whats best for themselves, why don’t people always make the right choices which sets them up for a better future?
Indulging in a chocolate bar today won’t harm your health right away, just as refraining from it won’t improve it immediately. Likewise, saving money today won’t necessarily make you wealthy, and failing to save won’t necessarily lead to poverty.
Failing to take action on the things that would set you up for future success rarely has immediate consequences. The everyday choices we make either aid or hinder our progress. Some choices align with our goals and make time work in our favor, while others work against us. Initially, the impact of our choices may not be apparent, but over time, as days turn into weeks, weeks into years, the cumulative effect of these small choices leads to vastly different outcomes. Most People would argue, “I make the right choices, but I don’t see any results.” It’s true that many of us make the right choices most of the time but most of the time ain’t the same as all the time.
In order for our choices to compound, we need to be consistent. Intensity of great choices every once a while only takes us so far but for long term gains, we need to make better decisions consistently. It is this lack of consistency that keeps the ordinary from becoming extraordinary.
People often overestimate what they can accomplish in one year. But they greatly underestimate what they could accomplish in five years.
— Peter drucker
This aim of self-improvement that almost everyone has is admirable, however, those who strive to do so often encounter the same challenge: not sticking to the changes that would benefit them. Despite having good intentions, we sometimes fail to follow through on our plans and make the choices that lead to self-improvement, such as eating healthy or waking up early. This is because we often believe that significant changes or results happen instantly, when in reality, they occur gradually over time.
To truly achieve lasting changes, a deep and consistent study is required, along with a willingness to continuously learn and adapt. This involves trying and testing new ideas and habits, even if you make mistakes or forget them, but persevering through the process of refinement until they become second nature.
The concept of compounding is not only relevant to finance but can also be applied to the accumulation of knowledge and wisdom. These techniques serve as reminders that we cannot expect to magically become wiser, kinder, healthier, or smarter overnight. If we stumble or forget our goals, it is not the end of the road, but rather an opportunity to identify our weaknesses and redouble our efforts and go at it again. All you need is 1% improvement everyday to achieve a 37x change at the end of a year.
Fact is that the reason behind your negative habits and difficulties in learning is justifiable. Your biology and past experiences have a significant impact and the longer you have lived, the stronger these factors become. Habits can be hard to break once they have become deeply ingrained. There are numerous industries that make false promises of quick and easy transformations, but the reality is that personal growth and improvement require significant effort and dedication. However, history has consistently shown us that the hard work is worth it in the end.
Achieving success requires a commitment to putting in the effort needed day in and day out, to get the desired outcome. To making consistent, small decisions that will lead to success over time. It is important to understand that progress may not always be immediately apparent, but with time, it does become visible. The key to reaching great heights is not to look for a single magic moment, but to recognize that it is the accumulation of many ordinary choices that eventually leads to something extraordinary.
