Valley of Disappointment
Progress often feels slow or nonexistent until a critical threshold is reached, where a new level of performance is unlocked.
Examples:
- The early stages of habit-building appear to yield no visible results.
- Breakthroughs often occur after sustained effort in the face of apparent stagnation.
Where does this idea come from?
- The Aggregation of Marginal GainsThe Aggregation of Marginal GainsSmall, consistent changes or improvements, when compounded over time, can lead to significant outcomes. Examples: * Shifting the route of an airplane by just a few degrees results in landing in a completely different city. * Cancer grows undetectably for most of its life, then quickly dominates. * Bamboo spends years building roots underground before shooting up 90 feet in six weeks. Where does this idea come from? * Compounding effects What's similar to this idea? * Shifting the route of
What's similar to this idea?
- Delayed gratification
- Plateau of Latent PotentialPlateau of Latent PotentialHabits often seem ineffective until they persist long enough to overcome the initial plateau and deliver meaningful results. Examples: * Consistent effort appears to yield no results during the plateau phase, but persistence leads to exponential progress. * Breaking through the plateau requires patience and trust in the process of habit-building. Where does this idea come from? * Valley of Disappointment * The Aggregation of Marginal Gains What's similar to this idea? * Delayed gratificat
- The compounding effect
What's opposite of this idea?
- Immediate results from actions
- Instant gratification
- Linear progress
Where does this idea lead to?
- Difficult to build habits that last
- Frustration from lack of visible progress
- Breakthroughs after consistent effort
- Motivation to sustain long-term actions
Status: #idea
Tags: habits, results, progress
References
Atomic Habits by James Clear > Chapter 1