Compound effect

The compound effect of small steps

When we think about personal growth, we often imagine that progress needs to be significant. We believe we need to make big changes, push ourselves harder or completely transform our lives before we can say we are moving forward. But I’m learning that some of the most meaningful changes happen quietly, through the small things we do consistently over time.

During cancer treatment, I was determined to get my strength back. I tried to return to the gym and lift weights while I was still going through immunotherapy because I wanted to feel strong again and get back to the person I had been before cancer. Instead, I pushed my body further than it was ready for, hurt myself and ended up incapacitated by vertigo for six months.

I had to remind myself that not too long before this, I couldn’t walk. My body had been through months of treatment, surgery and radiation, and I couldn’t simply pick up where I had left off. I was starting from scratch and needed to teach my body how to move, build strength and trust itself again.

I’m still living with chronic pain, reduced strength and reduced mobility, but my approach is different now. I walk every morning because I know movement is important, but I also listen to my body and stop when it hurts. I’m learning that rest is part of recovery and that speaking kindly to myself is far more helpful than pushing myself until I reach burnout.

This is where I think about the compound effect. One walk isn’t going to suddenly make me strong again, just as one healthy choice or one moment of self-compassion won’t transform everything overnight. But those small choices, repeated consistently, begin to add up. Over time, the walks become easier, my confidence grows, my body becomes stronger and I begin to trust myself a little more.

Personal growth works in much the same way. Getting out of bed on a difficult morning, taking a walk, setting a boundary, asking for help, resting when we need to or simply choosing to try again tomorrow can all be part of our progress.

Sometimes healing means accepting that you are not where you used to be and allowing yourself to start from where you are now, rather than constantly comparing yourself to who you were before.

You don’t have to push yourself to exhaustion to prove that you are growing. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is take one small step, listen to your body, speak kindly to yourself and trust that those small steps will eventually become something much bigger.

Love, Michelle