Craig T. Owens

I’ve found a great group of guys to play basketball with in Cedar Springs. I love early morning basketball because I feel like it gets my day started right.

I have been playing with this group for a little over two months. Prior to this, I hadn’t played full-court basketball in quite a while, so when I started up again, it was amazing how quickly I was out of breath … and how many turnovers I had … and how off my shot was. Just a few months of not playing, and everything deteriorated.

But I hung in there. And yesterday it dawned on me, “Hey, I can run a little longer before I get winded. And my shot is getting a little better too.”

I didn’t see a dramatic overnight improvement. In fact, I only see real improvement if I compare my game in mid-November with my game in mid-September.

This is an important concept to remember in anything we do: little by little keeps you moving forward. The little steps you take every day add up.

• Start with just 5 minutes of exercise, and slowly increase it.
• Read a book for just a few minutes each day, then a few minutes more.
• Pray for a couple of minutes before you go to bed tonight, then a couple minutes more.
• Quit smoking for just an afternoon, then try an hour or two more.

Little by little you are increasing your capacity to do greater things. Don’t try for cold turkey or overnight success or immediate results. Little by little will help you get there.

Ready? What little thing can you do today?