“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” – Muhammad Ali

If I learned anything from life, it’s that success comes from years of the daily grind (both hard work and “smart” work). It’s all about deliberate practice in whatever field you wish to master. So it’s not about some grand plans or undertakings. It’s about the little steps you take every day toward one goal, never giving up, but never over-stepping either.

The flip side of that idea is that the thing that makes you quit in the end is not some big obstacle, it’s the wear and tear of the many little obstacles.

So, remove the little obstacles. Remove the pebble in your shoe.

For me, this applies for computer programming, math, and academia in general, as well as the physical activities such as jiu jitsu and judo. But I think, it more practically applies to relationships (at work or at home). Even in my own life I’ve seen little tensions grow over months and years to become major issues.

So I wrote this quick post mostly as a reminder to myself to fix the little problems now before they get out of hand down the line.

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