Big Impact Often Follows a Series of Small, Persistent Leaps—Not One Grand Gesture

A familiar pattern: people wait for a breakthrough moment. A startup founder obsesses over the grand launch, believing that with the perfect pitch or PR push, success will arrive in a tidal wave. But after early excitement fades, motivation stalls. What actually separates those who hit lasting impact from those who don’t isn’t one big stroke of genius—it’s perseverance, built on tiny, recurring actions, even in private.

Think of the entrepreneur who spent nearly a decade scraping by, unable to pay himself a salary, taking odd jobs to keep things afloat. Each week, he reached out to potential partners, sent newsletters, updated his product—nothing earth-shattering, but each a brick in the foundation. Nine years in, one well-timed partnership, made possible only by his previous dogged work, turned the tide. Success seemed sudden—overnight, to outsiders—but internally, he knew it was years in the making.

Behavioural scientists call this the ‘compound effect’: small actions, multiplied over time, yield exponential results. Neuroscience suggests our brains adapt much better to consistent, small changes than to wild, irregular efforts. Not every leap needs to be bold—some are as subtle as setting the alarm, smiling at a newcomer, or sending a single follow-up email. The power is in persistence.

Think about the change you want—a new role, skill, or community. Break it down to its smallest parts, and make a short, daily or weekly plan. Instead of aiming for a single flash of brilliance, commit to these micro actions and log them in a way you’ll actually review—like phone notes or a sticky chart near your desk. Celebrate each check mark, no matter how small. When progress feels slow or you’re tempted to quit, circle back to your early goals and give yourself credit for each step that got you closer to the real change.