The small and simple things, done consistently are what will lead to greatness. Even the giant sequoia tree starts out as a small sapling. If you aspire to something great then I think you need to figure out what the simple things are that will lead toward that greatness and then do them – everyday. I am afraid if you do not want to figure out what those simple things are or you do not want to do them, then you will never achieve true greatness.
True you will find an occasional person that achieved success quickly, but even they discover that they were not really deserving and have not learned to do the small and simple things. Overtime, they will falter. You cannot avoid the necessity of doing the small and simple things consistently. Behind almost every truly successful person, there is a person that has learned to do the simple things.
Yet, you still seek for the shortcut. The great idea that will propel you forward – yet the entire time the answer is right in front of you. You just do not want to do the simple thing – your pride, ego, laziness, fear are in the way. You will do everything you can to avoid doing the simple thing that will lead toward success.
Doing the simple does not lead to rapid success, rather the simple compiles. Slowly the simple things compound until the combined weight of all the simple things that you have done become an overwhelming and unstoppable force. A slow drip of water is an incredibly powerful force because it builds and builds over time until the moisture level becomes so great it reaches the point where it will destroy just about anything under the constant drip. The root of a tree, will slowly grow, slowly reach, slowly expand, fill small tiny cracks until it compounds. A tree root, given enough time, can lift any weight.
Would you like to be rich? Then that is simple. Slowly save money in an interest bearing investment. Does not really matter all that much which one. Just slowly put money in, consistently and over time and that small and simple thing called interest will compound and you will be rich. It will take 20 to 30 years, but you will suddenly realize that your net worth is in the millions, and all you did was save a little money everyday.
You want to be a great musician, then I bet you can guess what you have to do everyday. You want to be a great chess player, then I bet you can guess what you have to do everyday. You want to be a scholar, then you better start reading – everyday. You want to be a great writer, then start writing everyday. You want to be a great person, then be nice to people everyday. Simple. Pure diamond simplicity. Sorry! There is no magic bullet, no special potion, no gadget. Simplicity is what gets you to where you want to be.
The greatest courage is not found in the moment when the powerful warrior charges the enemy on the battle field. Courage is found in the small things each soldier did everyday leading up to the battle. The courage of many, combined together is an overwhelming force – because they did the simple well. One small honey bee is nothing, but combined – that small and simple thing bees do collectively everyday keeps us all alive.
The 365 commitment to simple for you? Not complex enough? Go ahead and add some complexity if you wish – but at the end of the day – it will always be the small and simple things that will drive you to greatness.
Guy Reams (92)
365 Member
