Vol. 16: Incremental Becomes Monumental

I saw a great Garmin commercial recently that ended with the quote “incremental becomes monumental,” and it's such a succinct way of wording a philosophy I deeply identify with.

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If you ever see my running posts, you’ll see me say "1%" a lot. That’s not referencing being in the top 1% - it means getting 1% better, every day.​
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It’s a concept from James Clears’ Atomic Habits: 1% better each day is 37.78x better each year. Not 100% better. 3,678% better (since 37.78x is +3,678% above the starting baseline).

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This concept is the central thesis of the book - even the name Atomic Habits is a reference to atomic’s double meaning: small, the size of an atom - yet big, because atomic weapons are the biggest weapons known to man.

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It’s the power of compounding. My finance and math people will click with this immediately.

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In math (FYI: I was initially a math major), compounding growth is not simple addition/subtraction. .01+.01+.01 = .03.

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It’s an exponential function. 1.01^(3) = 1.030301.

.030301 compared to .03. Seems like a miniscule difference, but give it time, and that difference becomes massive.

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Incremental becomes monumental. Habits are the same way. They compound. They stack on each other and amplify their effects.

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One good decision today, one good decision tomorrow. Sooner or later, you’ve reached your goal.

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I'm very passionate about goals and systems (see my Systems > Goals newsletter for a discussion on how to effectively achieve your goals), and as we begin the New Year, I highly encourage you to goal set.

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I know it's easy to either 1. Set insanely huge goals and not achieve them (and feel discouraged from that) or 2. Feel overwhelmed with the goal setting process altogether and not do it.

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That's where you can use this 1% mindset to your advantage in 2026. It's not about running 500 miles this year (one of my goals). It's about running 125 miles per quarter. 42 miles per month. ~10 miles per week. At least 3 miles per run (running 3x per week). Putting your shoes on and stepping out the door.

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Putting your shoes on, stepping out the door, and running 3 miles is a lot more manageable than 500. Then let the power of compounding take effect.

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1% better each day = 3,678% better each year.

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Incremental becomes monumental.

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Happy New Year! I hope 2026 brings you much growth, joy, love, and success. I'm excited for what's in store, and I look forward to growing with you this year.

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See you next Thursday, Steppers.

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We will succeed,

Grayson

​graysonstepanek.com​

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Song of the Week:

WALK Playboi Carti PREVIEW   ​

Every year I list my top 10 albums and songs alongside 3 honorable mentions per and 4 albums I loved that didn't come out in that respective year. Since I already highlighted my #1 song (DON'T SHOOT by Jon Bellion), here's my #2: WALK by Playboi Carti - a song full of bass, swagger, and that "I'm him" energy you need to make 2026 your year.

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Check out my top music of 2025 below (and listen to them yourself or reach out to talk about them)!