There is a building that has been under construction for a year since I moved into this house. I see this construction site every single day as I walk by. Each day when I pass it, I think, “Ah, it’s still under construction.” But today, I realized that it is almost finished. It felt sudden—as if it was never going to be completed, but here it is, nearing completion. This realization shifted my perspective, reminding me that progress can be so gradual and subtle that we don’t notice it until a significant change becomes visible. It made me appreciate that even when something feels stagnant, steady work behind the scenes can lead to an unexpected and fulfilling outcome. This fact made me so happy. Something that seemed endless finally reached a positive outcome.
This realization applies to many other things in life. For example, when you start working out and go to the gym for an hour, the immediate results are often invisible. That lack of immediate change can be discouraging and might make you want to stop. But if you keep going, after three months, you’ll notice significant changes in your body.
There’s a famous book on habits called Atomic Habits. You might have read it. In the book, the author explains that an ice cube looks exactly the same at -1°C as it does at -30°C. However, when the room temperature reaches 0°C or 1°C (I can’t remember which), it starts to melt. This illustrates that your habits might not show any results until you reach a certain point. But once you hit that point, you notice the difference. That’s the power of habit.
In a previous article, I mentioned that I want to become a “強いビジネスマン” (a strong business professional). Today, I realized the key to achieving that is simply to keep working diligently and consistently every single day.
What I want to say is: just keep going with what you’re doing. You will achieve results at some point. Stay patient, and trust the process.
