It is the small things consistently carried out over a period of time that usually have the greatest impact.  Pretend you have a choice to either receive a million dollars or a penny doubled every day for 31 days.  Which would you choose?  Many would eagerly take the million, but the wise would choose the penny.  Why?  A penny, doubled daily would amount to just 62 cents after one week and after week two it would grow to $81.92.  Jumping ahead to day 29 that penny would have grown over  $2.5 million, day 30 over $5 million and on day 31 that single penny would be worth $10,737,418.24! That’s the power of compounding.

It is the small successful things you do over time that will lead you to success.  The flip side of this principle reveals that small destructive steps repeated over time will lead to failure.  One single greasy cheeseburger will not likely impact one’s health but one greasy cheeseburger consumed each day will likely lead to obesity and an eventual heart attack.  Conversely, exercising and eating a healthy meal will not likely create a huge impact on day one, but over time, that daily habit will lead to greater health and vitality.

Success in life usually does not happen in quantum leaps, it happens one consistent step at a time.  After 21 consistent steps, you create a pathway (a habit) that will lead you toward success or to failure.  Be intentional in creating success habits in your life and for your business.  Here are a few examples of small daily steps:

Positive Steps (to success):

  • Express love to a family member
  • Exercise for 20 minutes
  • Read from a positive, uplifting book
  • Write a complimentary letter
  • Connect warmly with your customer
  • Contact a minimum number of prospects to influence
  • Find one new thing you can do to improve your business
  • Save 10% of your earnings

Negative Steps (to failure):

  • Treat people harshly
  • Eat poorly
  • Spend more than you earn (add debt)
  • Be critical of yourself and others
  • Cut corners and give less value
  • Procrastinate
  • Watch TV, read dime novels etc.

The key is intention.  It is easy to take small easy steps but they are easy not to take as well.  It takes discipline, and focused intention to stay on the upward path of continuous improvement.  Another key is patience.  Most success curves start out pretty flat and over time momentum builds if the right steps are repeated.  It is important to be patient, persistent and DON’T QUIT!  If you merely do the right things long enough, you can be assured success.  Just as you can be certain that a penny doubled long enough will create millions.