One Is Not Zero.

Common sense, right?
1 ≠ 0.

We all know this, so what do I mean when I bring up this blatantly obvious point? Let’s contextualize this.

Think about productivity. Whenever you’re building a habit, learning a language, going to the gym, doing homework, or telling your family you love them—doing it one time is a lot more than doing it zero times.

It can be overwhelming when you have free time and are faced with a seemingly-infinite set of potential actions. What should you do? Start with one thing, because doing one thing is infinitely better than being paralyzed into doing nothing. Life is overwhelming, but take it one step at a time. One step in the right direction is all you need.

This concept is true with incremental productivity activities such as the ones previously listed, and of course compounds with every iteration. “One Is Not Zero” is even more true when faced with larger principles.