How Tiny Wins Compound into Impressive Results
As I write this, I’m enjoying a beautiful chilly October night on my back patio. Natalie is by my side, and Ollie is happily chasing tennis balls across the yard, while a cozy fire crackles in the firepit. Life feels good.
This week has been particularly exciting for me. You might have read or heard me mention that I’m gearing up for my first triathlon/Ironman in Geneva, NY, on July 13th, 2025. I’m not a competitive biker and my freestyle swimming skills leave a lot to be desired, but that’s exactly what I’m most excited about—I know that in just 10 months, I’ll be a completely different person.
This week, my brother's father-in-law generously gifted me his old racing bike. While it may not be the latest and greatest model on the market, it’s a significant upgrade from not owning a bike at all. And let me tell you, this bike is no joke. It has three chainrings in the front and eight cogs in the rear cassette, giving me 24 different gear combinations. It’s also equipped with drop handlebars with quick shifters integrated into the brake levers. This is going to help me tackle those hills with ease.
Man, it’s been so much fun to get back into biking. It’s been years. It’s true what they say: riding a bike again really is….well, just like riding a bike. But boy, oh boy, it sure is humbling.
Exercise is a funny thing. I’ve been working out my legs at the gym for over ten years and consistently running long distances for some time now. However, hopping on that bike and tackling some hills for just twenty minutes gave my legs a pump I haven’t felt in years. Such a great feeling.
Truthfully, I’ve been walking around my house the last few days with a little smirk on my face. I genuinely love the idea that I’m going to start adding biking and swimming to my weekly workout routine. I can’t imagine how good I’m going to start feeling in the coming months. Ever since I started hybrid training, I’ve felt like Michael 2.0. I know I can conquer and accomplish so much more physically now. I’m certain that feeling is going to be magnified in a few months time and I can’t wait to share my journey along the way.
It really is surreal in life when you start to become good at something you never thought you would be. Whether that’s fitness, career, interpersonal-relationship related, etc. Becoming good at something you felt you’d never exceed at is a type of pride that doesn’t come around too often. I think that’s why I continue to challenge myself at things, that in the moment, I know I’m not good at.
When I started GTY Performance with Sean, I didn’t know the first thing about becoming an entrepreneur. We had a vague idea how difficult it would be, but we truly had no idea the level of commitment it would take, all the different responsibilities and burdens we would have to bear, the costs associated, etc. But now, we could tell you how to create an LLC, how to establish a brand and common thread for your messaging, how to best qualify an attorney, the process and research involved to trademark a company name vs. a wordmark, how to create a website, how to research private label apparel/ supplement manufacturers, and so on.
If you told me 11-months ago we would have to learn all these skills in order to create our company, I don’t know if I would’ve taken that leap of faith. I think being ignorant in what was to come was the biggest blessing we both had. I guess I write this all to say that when you see a challenge you want to take on and conquer, but you’re scared of the journey that lies ahead, don’t break your neck looking up at the massive Everest of a mountain you have to climb. Take it one step at a time. You will be able to break it up into small wins that eventually compound into impressive results; that has been one of the best lessons I have learned throughout this whole process.
If this newsletter can help just one person challenge themself to do something they never thought they would dare to be able to do, I could easily say it did its job.
As always, have a great week!
