# Why 37.8 matters

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotle

If you've read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams you might be tempted to think 37.8 is somehow derived from the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything". Indeed 37.8 is 90% of 42, where 42 is the answer to the ultimate question according to Deep Thought, the enormous supercomputer that calculated this answer over a period of 7.5 million years.

While being so closely linked to the answer to the ultimate question alone would be reason enough to treat 37.8 with special respect, there is one more reason why this number is super important.

37.8 demonstrates the unbelievable power of compounded interest, the power of a growth mindset. By making very small but consistent efforts every day, you will achieve progress to your goals faster than you would have ever imagined.

$(1.00)^{365} = 1.00$

(1.01)^{365} \approx 37.8

This is the difference between doing nothing at all vs. doing small consistent efforts every day. It is not what we do occasionally that shapes our lives. Consistency in action is the hidden driver for success. This is true regardless of how you define success, be it a healthy diet, being fit or learning a new craft or knowledge.

I am starting this blog with a commitment to add a small bit of valuable content every day over the next 1 year. I am excited to test my perseverance to live up to this commitment, and to see where this experiment will take me.

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