Do the little things
A thought that never ceases to amaze me is the power of doing the little things every day. Everything we do is cumulative, but we often don't realize it. If you read 10 pages a day, you will have read ~10 books over the course of a year. If you write 500 words a day for a year, you will have written a book. If you run 2 miles a day, you will have ran 730 miles.
These tasks don't take much time, but if you do them every single day for an extended period of time, magic happens. So, pick something that you want to do and do it a little every day. Want to learn how to program? Program for 30 minutes. Want to get better at drawing? Draw one sketch a day. The formula is so simple: consistency even if you do a tiny amount.
Paul Graham hit the nail on the head: "People who do great things don't get a lot done every day. They get something done, rather than nothing." We imagine the brightest minds to constantly be at their A game, but it's not possible. Everybody has days where they aren't at their best. However, they're the best at not ending the day off with nothing.
Next time you end off the day with only 500 words written, 10 pages read, and 2 miles ran. Remember, you're on pace to write a book, read near a dozen novels, and are a step closer to a healthier version of you.
The exceptional people and things we see a every day are just a cumulation of the little things every day. Day-to-day life isn't always glamorous in pursuit of your goals. Extraordinary things are just culminations of ordinary things for extremely long periods of time. Do the little things every day, you'll thank yourself later.