One of the biggest pitfalls in the way humans think is that we are so outcome-focused that quite often we end up derailing ourselves from making any progress at all. 

In other words: We want results and we want them NOW! So we start with something big, make it one or two weeks, and then usually quit. We care too much about the what and not about the how. We haven't built the habit so as soon as motivation dwindles we end up back where we started.

We convince ourselves that by doing BIG MASSIVE HUGE things that we are going to blast our way into "Results City" in 30 days or less.

It is exactly why people fall for ridiculous claims such as:
"Get ripped in 30-days."
"Build a six-pack in two weeks."
"Lose 20lbs in 10 days." 

We have it entrenched in our brains that big things lead to big things when actually it is the opposite that is true. The little things add up to big things. 

I know what you're thinking... Do small habits actually amount to anything?

Well here are some examples:

If you did 5 pull-ups on Day 1 and then added one per day, you would end up doing 620 pull-ups in 30 days. That is more than enough to see some serious strength gains. 

If you read 1 page on Day 1 and then added one page per day, you would end up reading 465 pages in 30 days. At this rate you would be reading roughly a book and a half per month, which is pretty solid in my opinion. 

If someone started exercising and made some small positive changes with their nutrition, they could easily lose 1lb every 2 weeks. This would add up to 24lbs in a year and that would be a very impressive year of becoming Stronger, Healthier, and Happier!

So you see, by focusing on small consistent progress, things will add up over time and you will end up reaching the big things that you are after. 

Start small, slow, and easy. Keep it ridiculously simple so that you will accomplish your daily goal with no troubles at all. And then by adding in more slowly, you will allow yourself to build that habit and continue to see progress over time. 

The key to progress is building those habits. Not chasing the BIG things with BIG changes when you're motivation is high. 

Little things ARE big things.  

"I start with a habit that is very easy in the beginning. I build the capacity to do work. In other words, I'm focusing on volume first, which will allow me to handle the intensity of a bigger habit later.

I increase by a very tiny amount each day so that my body is able to recover and grow. Meanwhile, if I had started with a difficult or more impressive habit, then I would have hindered my ability to adapt as the habit grew.

I break the habit down into sets that are always easy. I reduce the mental burden needed to accomplish the habit. In a way, the easy sets are simply fun to do and require very little motivation to finish.

And most important, I focus on actually performing the habit rather than worrying about the outcome. I am developing the skill of being consistent and that is a skill that is valuable in nearly every area of life."

- James Clear author of Atomic Habits

Stronger mindset, healthier body, happier soul.

Thanks for reading

Zack McMillan