Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

Recently, I caught a clip of The Love Seat Podcast where Vivian Tu posed a fascinating question to the hosts, Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed-Hamilton—the beloved couple from season one of Netflix’s “Love Is Blind.” The question: “Would you rather have $1 million or a magic penny that doubles every day for a month?”

Before you choose, let me tell you what happened next.

Lauren didn’t hesitate. “I’ll take that million,” she said, confidently. And judging by the flood of comments on social media, she wasn’t alone. “What kinda math is that…” one listener scoffed. But amid the skepticism and confusion, someone pointed out the key detail everyone seemed to miss: “Y’all missing it. The penny isn’t just doubling every day. The entire amount is...”

Cameron even dropped the formula for those who wanted to test it: 0.01 × 2^29. If you’re curious, that magic penny’s total after 30 days is over $5 million. Wild, right?

This conversation stuck with me because it perfectly illustrates the concept of marginal gains — small, consistent improvements that compound into extraordinary results over time.

The idea of marginal gains was popularized by Sir Dave Brailsford, a British cycling coach who transformed Team Sky into a powerhouse by focusing on improving every element of performance by just 1%. Whether it was the riders’ sleep quality, nutrition, or even the comfort of their bike seats, these tiny adjustments added up to big wins. The team went on to win multiple Tour de France titles, proving the power of small, incremental changes.

Marginal gains aren’t flashy. They’re not the kind of thing that will impress anyone at first glance. But over time, they build momentum, and that’s when the magic happens—just like the penny doubling every day.

The beauty of marginal gains is that they can be applied to almost anything. Think about your health, for example. Adding just one vegetable to your meals each day, walking an extra five minutes, or drinking another glass of water may seem insignificant. But over a month, a year, or a lifetime, those tiny shifts make a huge difference.

For me, this concept came to life during my first round of 75 Hard, which we discussed last week. It wasn’t about massive, overnight changes. It was about the small, consistent actions: drinking a gallon of water, reading 10 pages, and sticking to the plan day after day. Each small decision built on the last, leading to a complete transformation by the end of the 75 days.

As I start my second round of 75 Hard this year, I’m reminded that progress doesn’t always look like a leap. Sometimes, it’s the quiet, steady climb that gets you to the top. The key is to start small and stay consistent.

So here’s my question to you: What’s one small change you can make today that could compound into something extraordinary over time?

Maybe it’s spending five minutes reading in the morning, reaching out to one friend each week, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Whatever it is, remember that those small steps can lead to big gains.

I hope this message finds you well. I’m sharing from my heart in hopes that you will be inspired to unearth and live out your God-given purpose. Hopefully, something I said resonated. I would love to hear from you if so. Please feel free to reach out to me on social media. FYI: I’m mostly active on Instagram these days. If you were forwarded this message, you can subscribe here to receive thoughts like this directly in your inbox. And don’t forget to check out the latest episode of my podcast, ConvoRoom with Mark Allen Patterson.

See you next week,