Every little while I let myself go. I get in the habit of eating trash, I stop working out, I act shitty towards loved ones and strangers, and put minimal effort into my work. I become comfortable and content with my mediocrity (maybe even below-mediocrity). But at my rock-bottom, I start to get frustrated with myself. Angry at what I've let myself become and how low I've sunk and how much potential I had. This frustration makes me want to change every aspect of myself overnight. I want my old body back now. I want to be able to run 10 miles now. I want my old confidence and self-esteem back now. I want to fix every relationship I've destroyed now. I want to be the best in my field now.

But neither my body,  nor my mentality, nor my stamina  can change overnight. It's like trying to fill a large empty pool using a low-pressure garden hose and being frustrated after seeing that it hasn't been filled after 5 seconds. Be patient enough and you can fill that pool, but it's a slow process once that pool is empty. That's okay, though. It's important to remember in times like these that every drop is one step closer to filling the pool again. Each little choice we make gets us to where we want to be, even if that drop itself doesn't seem to make a difference at the time. 

Little decisions like not ordering takeout today or making the effort to go for a jog even if it's only for a single kilometre. It's making an effort to call your parents or check in on your friends or listen to you coworker's annoying story and smile. It's leaving a little tip for the barista or not honking at the jerk who cut you off. It's doing just a tiny bit more work than you did the day before or even just not giving up on yourself and throwing in the towel after having a bad-human day. Little drops that will add up and become effortless habits and eventually give you that pool you desire. Not today or tomorrow, but also not never. 

Little choices.