Do Something Small Today
Imagine waking up in the morning and deciding that today is the day you will change the world…or change your life…or flip the script that you’ve been following.
You can.
You can start right now, but it might not look as impressive as waking up at 7:00am and by 10:00pm life has changed dramatically. That’s not how big change happens.
Big change starts by waking up 30 minutes earlier to work on your passion project.
Big change starts by choosing not to gossip anymore.
Big change starts with small change.
The best way to do something big tomorrow is to do something small today. Then do something small tomorrow. Then do something small the next day.
The goal isn’t to be perfect. The goal is to be better today than you were yesterday.
In her wonderful book, “The Gifts of Imperfection,” Brene Brown says, “Perfectionism is not self-improvement. Perfectionism is, at its core, about trying to earn approval and acceptance.”
Don’t shoot for perfect. Shoot for better. Everyone can do better. Doing better every day can lead to extraordinary change.
As an example, if I gave you the choice of accepting a check for $1 million dollars today or taking a penny on day one and I would double it every day, the better option is to take the penny and watch it double over and over. At the end of 30 days, you would have $5,368,709.12.
Day 1: $.01
Day 2: $.02
Day 3: $.04
Day 4: $.08
Day 5: $.16
Day 6: .32
Day 7: $.64
Day 8: $1.28
Day 9: $2.56
Day 10: $5.12
Day 11: $10.24
Day 12: $20.48
Day 13: $40.96
Day 14: $81.92
Day 15: $163.84
Day 16: $327.68
Day 17: $655.36
Day 18: $1,310.72
Day 19: $2,621.44
Day 20: $5,242.88
Day 21: $10,485.76
Day 22: $20,971.52
Day 23: $41,943.04
Day 24: $83,886.08
Day 25: $167,772.16
Day 26: $335,544.32
Day 27: $671,088.64
Day 28: $1,342,177.28
Day 29: $2,684,354.56
Day 30: $5,368,709.12
That’s what happens when small change begins compounding. You may not be able to bench press 125 pounds on day one, but if you start low and increase the weight a little bit every day, you will get to the point where lifting 150 pounds will be easy for you.
It’s not going to happen tomorrow, but the process of getting there can absolutely start the minute you do you first bench press.
A book begins with a chapter. A chapter begins with a sentence. A sentence begins with a word.
No book is ever written without that first word.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” —Aristotle
Don’t set your sights on being something. Instead, set a goal to DO something. The being always comes after the doing.
Read one chapter a day.
Run one block a day.
Eat one good meal a day.
Drink one extra glass of water a day.
Do one small thing today. Then do another tomorrow. Then do another the next day.
Then watch your small changes turn into the big change you desire.
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