Why Every Mile Matters

When did we become convinced that only big things count? If we’re not moving mountains, saving the world or transforming our lives, then why bother? 

We need to bother with, recognize and honor the small things, the tiny steps, the barely perceptible improvements for two related, but different, reasons.

First, every mile matters because small things add up to big impact and great things can only be created one step at a time. Consider the Great Pyramid. Most historians agree that its construction took thousands of men twenty years. Twenty years of daily toil, measuring, carving and laying one stone at a time. Consider my husband’s journey from weekend athlete to one of the top CrossFit masters athletes in the world. His success is not the result of a few awesome workouts, but rather the consequence of his daily choice to take the next step, do the next pull up, add the next two pounds to the barbell. Consider the children many of us have raised. The lessons they learned from us are not the result of a single thing we said, but rather a compilation of the things they’ve seen us do, the advice we’ve shared, and the unconditional love we’ve expressed.

Every small step you take is a stone in the creation of the personal pyramid that is your life.

But there’s a second reason why small things matter that it is a bit more philosophical, a bit more existential, and that is this: Every mile matters simply for the sake of that one mile, that one step and that one moment. Our lives are simply the sum total of small moments. This moment, this mile. Each positive act has value all on its own. Every breath counts for the sake of that one, single breath. 

At the end of the day, every mile matters because big things can only be accomplished one step at a time. And, every mile matters because that single stroll, that one step, that simple kind word, that individual deep breath is important and significant, all on its own.