Small choices, big results

Hardy’s core formula is simple: small, smart choices, plus consistency, plus time, equal a radical difference. No single choice seems to matter much, but repeated over years they add up.

He illustrates it with three friends who start out in similar positions. One carries on as before. One makes a few small positive changes, such as reading ten pages a day, listening to something instructive on his commute and cutting a modest number of calories. The third slips into small bad habits. Day to day nobody can see a difference, but after a couple of years the gap between them is huge.

He also uses the magic penny. Offered a large sum today or a penny that doubles every day for a month, you should take the penny, though it only pulls ahead near the end.