The Habit of Most Successful People- Start Small

Over the years, I was wondering how some people become more successful than others. Other day I was going through the biography of three successful business magnates- Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett & Bill Gates.

I tried to notice the common grounds of success among them. I found that great things almost always start small. Actually, the best things we know and love started as small things.

• A research scholar who completed his dissertation, started with small.
• A business which is flourishing started from small unit.
• A cricketer who made a century in a game started from small.
• The LinkedIn Influencers like Jeff Haden, James Altucher, Dave Kerpen, Richard Branson and many more whom we admire so much for their posts, also started small.

But, what differentiated a successful people from most successful people? I found it’s answer as the most successful people start small but keep increment their efforts in the relative proportion.

I’ve found that if I look into my own life, I find similarity that some of the most important achievement I’ve made started as small with increment in it. The recent example is this post. I wrote a small para to answer a question on Quora and from there I got the idea to share it on LinkedIn Pulse. And, from a small para, I converted into a long-post. It wouldn’t be easy for me if I hadn’t started small.

"Whatever you do, start small and when you think it’s enough, then do it two more."

In fact, it reminds me of a similar statement made by Dale Carnegie in his book- How to Win Friends and Influence People. He mentioned-

“I prepared a short talk. I called it ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ I say ‘short.’ It was short in the beginning, but it soon expanded to a lecture that consumed one hour and thirty minutes.”

Generally, we think to create big and think that only big can make you big. But, that’s not necessary. You can achieve big with a small start and gradually expand your horizon.

• Suppose you want to gain big muscles, then you don’t need to start with 150 push-ups daily. Start with the maximum you can hit, let say 10. So, when you finished 10, then just hit two more push-ups. That is you’re ready to expand your limits. Next day you’ll be comfortable to do 12 reps and when you complete 12 then hit two more. Like this you will reach to 150 push-ups more quickly and it won’t also burden your muscles.
• Suppose you doing something and want to concentrate and be productive in it. Start with small and when you achieve that just spend two more minutes to do it. Like this, gradually you’ll be specialized in doing that activity because you will know the best way to do it.
• Suppose you are afraid of public speaking. Start with couple of your friends and whatever you speaking with them, just stretch your talk for two more minutes. Like this, you will get your groove and gradually without any hesitation will easily able to speak in front of huge audience.
• Suppose you want to write a book. Then start small. Start with a para, then page, then pages and then book. And, with every para, page, pages, write two more lines, two more paras, two more pages respectively. Like this, you will get the flow in your writing and you’ll able to write a book much easily than you ever think of.

I mean to say that whatever you do, initiate with small, do two times, two minutes more and gradually you’ll make the difference you ever longing for. Therefore, never underestimate the power of small.