Step by Step

Personal achievements are usually noticed when some spectacular results happen. This is most evident in sports, but equally in other competitive disciplines. Like entrepreneurship (which can be considered a sport too). But often what really matter are the mundane everyday tasks and small accomplishments. Surprisingly, over time, they accumulate to results, which are not that negligible.

Doubling results over a year is not a small feat. But is increasing the numbers by 5% month over month even worth noticing? The simple math tells us both are equal. Yes, 100% over 12 months means just over 5% month over month. A twelfth degree root of 2 (100% growth) is 1.059 (5.9% M/M). 5.9% is absolutely nothing to write home about. But the thing is - it accumulates.

I remember learning this accumulation mechanism during my first serious job. It was picking green peas in Somerset, England in mid nineteen eighties. We were paid by the quantity picked and I was making a bit over £10 a day. A friend of mine was a £1 better every day. Not much, but at the end of the season he was good £30 ahead. That was serious money back then. An equivalent to a monthly salary in the still communist Poland.

I'm not sure if this experience was the one to have impact on my approach to life in general, but nevertheless, I am a big believer in everyday discipline. And I believe to get to the top of a mountain all you need to do is keep walking. Step by step.

Speaking of walking - for the last couple of years my personal goal was to power walk 10 kilometers per day. Which is peanuts if done occasionally. But the real challenge (at least for me) has been to keep doing this consistently. Every day. Especially as there are always tons of excuses: a busy day, a headache, long distance travel, rain, you name it.

But then comes this great reward, thanks to the in-body chemistry. Endorphins and the dopamine boost, elevating the mental state to super positive levels. It still surprises me how a simple early morning walk can tune the positive attitude for the whole day.

Back in February I confessed I upped the stakes a bit by altering my routine trail to include a second 150m ascend adding few hundred meters to the overall distance. Does not sound like a lot, but it has accumulated to almost 3800 kilometers walked and 100 kilometers vertical ascend throughout the 2023. And I think doing that I've had the capacity to bottle and sell my excess dopamine. But rather than buying, I wholeheartedly recommend making one yourself :) Have a consistent 2024!