More often than not, we’re comfortable with “a lot,” and we’re comfortable with “nothing.”
It’s easy to make a big push for something when we’re feeling inspired: a New Year’s resolution; after reading a great article on the benefits (or drawbacks) of coffee; while on vacation.
Often, that big push either overshoots (we overdo it and get tired), or our inspiration wanes.
Which is why “a little bit every day” is tougher, and more valuable, than it appears.
It requires us to find out what “a little bit” for this new thing means to us: the smallest possible dosage that will make a difference.
And it requires us to do this meaningful thing each and every day.
My natural inclination is get inspired, overdo things, fall short/get injured, and then get frustrated. Then I give up.
The biggest changes I’ve made have happen when I’ve made small, consistent, long term commitments to things that really matter: from generosity to running to listening to recovering from injury.
This isn’t a conceptual point or a conceptual blog post. I encourage you to pick something that matters to you, figure out what “a little bit” would be, and commit to doing that for 30 days. You can even use Austin Kleon’s 30-day challenge printout to keep track.
A little bit every day adds up to a lot. And it’s rarer than it appears.
