Why Small Things Matter

Small things matter when they accumulate - James Clear

A little gathers a lot - Aidan O’ Flaherty

These two phrases have been on my mind lately. The little actions we take on a daily or weekly basis (both the positive and the negative) seem insignificant or of little consequence in the moment.

-Getting in an extra 30 minutes of easy endurance riding this week might not do much for your fitness or help you during that race later this year.

-Completing your strength and conditioning work won’t instantly fix that niggle you’ve been dealing with or make you feel stronger during those hill intervals.

-Eating enough protein and vegetables today won’t magically fix your health issues or improve your body composition.

-Getting a solid 7-8 hours of sleep tonight doesn’t mean you’ll feel amazing and be fully recovered for your workout tomorrow.

None of these matter much on their own or in the grand scheme of things. But when you zoom out and give them enough time to accumulate and combine with each other they can add up to something remarkable:

-Those extra 30 minutes of riding each week added up to 26 hours over the year, a massive boost for your aerobic development.

-Consistently getting in 2 strength sessions a week helped you remain injury-free during that tough training cycle and gave you an “extra gear” at the end of the race.

-Eating enough protein and veggies most days helped improve your body composition and brought health markers back to safe levels.

-Aiming for at least 7 hours of sleep most nights gave you more energy and enthusiasm for training and helped you recover and adapt from those tough workouts.

Little things add up, and time is either working for or against you when it comes to your daily actions and behaviors. You don’t need to be perfect, and you shouldn’t freak out about the occasional bad day or missed workout here and there. Just remember that what you repeatedly do (or don’t do) adds up, and that what you get is a lagging measure of what you’ve done.