One Small Step for a Better Tomorrow
What’s the smallest thing I could do today to make tomorrow easier?
Hey there,
Have you ever thought about how tiny actions today can ripple into something meaningful tomorrow? I’ve been chewing on this idea over the past week. Life feels so big sometimes, with endless to-do lists and responsibilities pulling us in a million directions. It’s easy to think the only way forward is with massive effort. There are times when I feel like everything requires big changes and big commitments. But what if that’s not true? And, spoiler alert, it is not true.
What if, instead, the secret (sounds so fancy in this context) lies in doing something so small it almost feels like it doesn’t matter? Like putting one sock in the laundry basket instead of leaving it on the floor. Or replying to that email that’s been sitting in your inbox for days. These tiny things don’t seem like they’d make a dent in the chaos of life, but when you think about it, they really do.
The other night, I had a beer and left the bottle on the kitchen counter instead of throwing it away. I told myself I’d do it tomorrow because I was tired and felt extremely lazy. But the next morning, there it was, staring at me, somehow making the entire kitchen look messy. It wasn’t just the fact I didn’t throw it away – it annoyed me to see it there. And it annoyed me even more when I caught it with my morning cup of coffee 15 minutes later, sending it to the ground. I spent 30 minutes cleaning up and gathering glass pieces from the floor and carpet. That small act of leaving the bottle on the countertop made my whole morning harder.
So yesterday, when I was about to leave my coffee mug on the kitchen table, I tried something radical.
Before leaving for work, I emptied the dishwasher (we run it through the night) and put my mug there. Just that. It took five minutes, and I didn’t think much of it at the time. But when my wife woke up, she asked me if I still hadn’t had my coffee, and was quite happy that I emptied the dishwasher, when I told her I had just put the mug away.
That got me wondering.
What else can I do today that would make tomorrow better?
Something that makes tomorrow better for me or for my family. Something so simple I can’t talk myself out of it. Maybe laying out my clothes the night before or writing a sticky note to remind myself of something important. These things take hardly any effort, but they clear little hurdles out of the way before we even face them.
Sometimes, we think making progress means tackling the big stuff – running a marathon, starting a new habit, completing a huge work project in one go. But honestly, I think those big leaps are rare. Most of the time, it’s the tiny, almost invisible things that keep us moving forward.
Think about it. When you pick up your shoes and put them away, tomorrow you won’t trip over them. If you set the coffee machine to auto-brew, you wake up to the smell of fresh coffee. These are tiny moments of kindness you give to your future self. They won’t change the world, but they can change your day. Or, in many cases, someone else’s.
I’m trying to be more intentional about this. Like, if I know tomorrow is going to be busy, I’ll choose my clothes and I’ll pack my work bag tonight. If I’m feeling lazy, I remind myself how much “future me” will appreciate the effort. And honestly? That little nudge is enough most of the time.
This isn’t just about making life easier, though. It’s also about building momentum. When you start doing small things, they add up. Putting every dish directly in the dishwasher keeps the sink area empty and leads to cleaning the counter. Putting away one thing makes you want to tidy the next. It’s a domino effect, but you have to knock over the first few ones to get the ball rolling.
It may seem that I am placing too much importance on something very trivial. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this is some magical cure for all of life’s problems. There will always be days when things feel heavy no matter what you do. But even on those days, doing just one small thing can help, even something easy and manageable. It’s like planting a tiny seed. You don’t see the results right away, but eventually, it grows into something bigger. This analogy with the seed reminds me of a great Chinese proverb that I believe applies quite a lot here (even though this is not its main point):
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The second best time is today.
So, what’s the smallest thing you can do today that would make tomorrow easier? Maybe it’s texting a friend back, so you don’t feel guilty about forgetting. Or jotting down a to-do list so your brain isn’t spinning when you try to sleep. Whatever it is, make it so small you can’t argue your way out of it. Then rinse and repeat, and before you know it, you’ll see the results of the domino effect starting to kick in.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Hit reply and let me know what little thing could you do right now to help yourself tomorrow? I’m always curious to hear from you.
That’s all I have for this week. Thank you for sharing the newsletter with friends and colleagues and helping me grow and reach more people who might find value in what I have to share.
Till next week,
Dobri 🍃