5 ways you can create great change with small steps
Rome was not built in a day…
How much time do you think it takes to create a musical masterpiece…? Is it a week, a year, a decade…? It might be more than that, it might be less. Truth be told, no one can know for sure. Some artists might share their experience suggesting a moment of inspiration, which ‘changed it all’. Others might try to count the years of drills and constant improvements, which in the long run led to the discovery of that perfect set of sounds, which made their composition as it is today.
Now think of your masterpiece, whatever that might be. Whether it’s a research paper, the development of an app, a business you would like to take off the ground, or something completely different, there is an aspect of it that can be shared among all these projects and one without which none would come to fruition. The mysterious ingredient of compounding.
Although we will not discuss today compounding of interest (a process of building one’s investing portfolio) we are going to consider the interesting utility of compounding, when applied to our goals and ideas. After all, Rome was not built in a day…
#1 – Divide and compound.
Let’s imagine for a moment that you’re about to start a new project, which requires a great deal of work and effort. What do you do in that situation? If you’re like most people, you gather the data in a haste and get straight into it. You might write down the few main aims of the project or even create a timeline, but since you want it finished as soon as possible, you do not wait much longer. How does this sound to you…?
The first way to make your leaps bigger is by applying small changes. This requires patience and preparation; you have to understand the road you’re about to travel. Where do you see the project in a week, a month, a year? What key actions need to be taken to ensure success? Is there anyone or anything that could make your work easier?
Create a thorough list of actions, deadlines, sources, and ideas, which will likely become a part of your endeavour. Divide them into prioritised groups and time-based schedules. Organise them according to the importance of completion and likelihood of achievement. In other words, compound them into groups and act upon them with appropriate care. Thanks to this simple process of initial preparation and organisation you will understand your priorities and save yourself some precious time…
#2 – Stack them up!
Although within a day a tree can only grow a little – so little it is rather impossible to notice – over a decade this same tree will inevitably outgrow the space in which it was planted ten years earlier. This image represents the second application of compounding.
Let’s get back to your project. You’ve done the necessary preparations, divided the goals and actions, and are ready to start. With the end in mind you sit down to write the first few pages of documentation, but after an hour or so, you lose the steam and stall. Like a car out of gas, you feel unable to continue. Why…?
First, let me tell you that this is nothing unusual and you’re experiencing the same feeling as any other entrepreneur, artist, or researcher would. It’s only normal to run out of steam from time to time. Your mind, similarly, to your body, can do only so much before it needs a little rest. That is why without unnecessary stress, you take on board the second advice about creating great change and decide to stack your work up. Everyone must find their ideal daily portion of effort for themselves, but the rule of the thumb is – do as much as you can every day and leave the rest for tomorrow. With the use of compounding, you will finish that paper with greater ease and satisfaction. It is said that people overestimate what they can do in a day, but they underestimate what they can do in a year…
#3 – Create a schedule and stick to it…
It’s great to have the preparation behind us and act with purpose, but there is nothing less detrimental to one’s efforts than lack of a schedule. How often do you allow something or someone to dictate the way your day goes? How well do you avoid distractions when working on a project?
Many great and successful figures in history were known for their unique, sometimes considered to be eccentric, habits and attitudes, which to some appeared absurd or unpleasant. Einstein, for example, was known to spend hours, sometimes days in his bathroom, where to the surprise of the public, he did not do anything in particular other than bathing and pondering. It is said that during one of these sessions he came up with the theory of the inflating universe while bursting one of the bathing bubbles.
But let’s get back to our schedule. Once you have your priorities set and timeframes created, you must carve out a part of your day to commit to your work fully. This means shutting the whole world away. With changes as small as turning your phone on aeroplane mode for the mentioned period, you will strengthen your focus and compound the benefits of a purposeful action…
#4 – Understand your weaknesses and let them go.
Throughout our educational journey, we are often told to work on our weaknesses and put in extra effort where our lack of progress is visible. But does that make sense? Is there no better way of advancing one’s ideas than focusing on what does not work and trying with all the might to fix it?
Let’s for a moment think about Pareto’s Law. This universal law, often used in business, states that for example 20% of our efforts, influence 80% of the results we get. Only one-fifth of what we do brings upon us the great majority of gains. If that is the truth and considering it is a law commonly known in the world of both science and business, why should we bother with working on the remaining eighty per cent, which brings barely any results at all.
Sometimes making a great change means not trying to change at all. Instead of attempting to get your weaknesses in better shape, focus on what works for you. Try to figure out which twenty per cent of your efforts make up for eighty per cent of the results and prioritise them. This selective attention will help you compound your interest without a struggle.
#5 – Stay consistent.
In the end, there is nothing that could be done without the world-shifting power of persistence. Taking the above ideas to heart, do not forget to put the effort in consistently and as often as possible. A daily set of goals to meet is a great way of ensuring excellence. Make sure that the work you do tomorrow is better than the one you did today and compound its success over time.
With the words of James N. Watkins, “a river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence”.
Great changes start with small steps…
All of the presented concepts are but a tip of the iceberg of compounding. Mountains are scaled one step at a time, skyscrapers are built by digging into the ground, books are written with single letters typed on the keyboard…
Whether you want to learn a new language, develop a programme, start a business, or do anything that your heart cries out to do, there is no other way but through action. Make sure you raise chances of success by planning your steps, compounding your efforts, scheduling your work, playing to your strengths, and persisting.
You can do more than you might think…
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