This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
1% consistent effort always compounds over time
I was rushing to head over to a friend the other day and told them I had to get my workout in before I came over. Why? Because I remain dedicated to my goals to maintain a fit physique and a healthy heart and body.
Whether it is cold, hot, raining, snowing, sleeting, raining, or fire is falling from the sky, I will ensure I get my workouts in because I have a clear goal I desire to meet consistently.
Twenty minutes; that was all the time I had, so I could make the time commitment my friend and I both agreed on, but guess what? For a consistent weight-lifter, these were not optimal conditions for me to get the best workout.
However, I made it happen. Usually, I do anywhere from 6–12 exercises each workout I conduct, and I was still able to meet this goal during my intense twenty-minute workout. It landed on being one of the best workouts I had in the longest time. Not only did I push myself, but I reached new physical fitness levels because I had no choice but to capture all of the exercises and reps I needed to complete within a twenty-minute time constraint.
1% Consistent Effort Adds Up Overtime
One of my favorite messages in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear is:
It doesn’t matter if your consistency is a small effort because small, consistent efforts always add up.
Consistency compounds, builds, and forms mighty roots under the earth that soon explodes into a humongous tree of progress.
The $1 Example
If you invest $1 for 70 years straight, you will end up with $25,550.
If you invest $3 weekly for 70 years straight, you will end up with $3,640.
It might not seem like much money, but there is a 86% difference in progress between these two numbers. Apply this same logic to your goals, and watch how much more progress you can make with your goals.
Are Your Goals Attainable?
Goal: Publish 14 Articles A Week
Let’s say you have a goal to publish 14 articles a week, you could do all 14 articles once a week, or you could publish two articles per day. It might seem tedious to publish articles daily versus once a week, but the longer you take a break from your goals, the easier it is to forget about them and convince yourself that prolonging progress on your goals is okay.
Goal: Lose 50 Pounds
Let’s say you have 50 pounds to lose. You can set a goal to lose one pound a week. That’s it. All you have to do is create a deficit of 3500 calories each week, which amounts to 500 calories per day.
Here’s the problem with wanting to lose two pounds. Two pounds would require a caloric deficit of 1,000 calories per day, which is more than doable, but more often than not, it makes the process too hard.
Focusing instead on 0.5 to 1 pound makes the weight loss goal more enjoyable, satisfying, and easier to attain.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.