The Harvest of Daily Efforts

A few nights ago at a lovely dinner under the stars with The Man at one of our favorite restaurants, we began talking about little things we'd done or invested our time in that are now paying off great rewards. Things that seemed like good ideas, daily tasks that don't require much. But now looking back we can see how cumulatively they become monumental achievements due to consistency. None of these things could be accomplished in a day. They can't be faked or pulled together at the last second.

Then as I was working in the little garden the next day I thought again about how this harvest we'll enjoy all summer is another result of small, consistent efforts. Putting seeds or starts into the soil, watering, fertilizing, protecting from bugs, removing dead leaves and regularly trimming - nothing big, nothing that takes more than five to ten minutes a day. It is not possible to plant a seed and harvest fruit the next day. But over time small, cumulative efforts provide a bounty of results.

Isn't that a great lesson to remember in life? The little steps you are taking every day are your BIG results and rewards later. Our greatest successes are not gargantuan, painful efforts. They are built on the foundations of meeting someone new, being kind, taking time to read with a child, give a hug to someone in need, sending an email query, sending a thank you, making a call, writing a page or a chapter, reading a book, doing research, or making some notes. Take a few baby steps today and in a year or two or three  you'll be far ahead of where you are now. Love it! Do you have similar experiences?