“Take care of the moments, and your destiny will take care of itself.”
— Jon ONeil

Darren Hardy, in The Compound Effect, reminds us that every action we take today compounds into the results we experience tomorrow. It’s easy to nod in agreement with this truth, yet difficult to fully grasp its power when life feels overwhelming.

Think about it—what do the second floor of your house, the balcony of your church, the peak of a Hawaiian mountain, and the summit of Mt. Everest all have in common? You don’t teleport to the top. You get there one step at a time.

And yet, when we set our sights on a great goal, whether it’s financial freedom, a thriving marriage, or a healthier body—we often freeze. We stand at the base of our personal Everest, eyes locked on the peak and feel the weight of the journey ahead. Fear creeps in. Doubt whispers. The temptation to turn back or settle where we are becomes strong.

But what if, instead of obsessing over how far we must go, we simply looked at the next step? One step. Just that.

One phone call. One healthier meal. One intentional act of love. One more rep at the gym. One more hour of focused work.

That’s it. No need to stress about step 500 when step one is right in front of you. Taken on its own, one step is laughably easy. It’s the accumulation of steps that creates the extraordinary.

Am I saying the entire journey will feel as effortless as that first step? No. There will be days when your feet ache, when the climb is steep, when the air is thin, and you wonder if it’s worth it. But those who reach the top aren’t the ones who had the easiest climb; they are the ones who took the next step anyway.

Commitment. Consistency. Courage.

No one who ever achieved greatness did so without these three. Commitment keeps you moving when motivation fades. Consistency turns small efforts into unstoppable momentum. Courage pushes you to take the next step, even when doubt and fear scream at you to stop.

You don’t feel successful? You don’t think you have what it takes? Let me tell you something—you do. The seed of success is already within you. The question is, will you nurture it? Will you take the next step?

Because if you do—if you take care of this moment—your destiny will take care of itself.

“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
— Galatians 6:9 (CSB)