Have you ever found yourself looking at a mess so tangled it seems there’s no way to straighten it out … wet sheets twisted in the washer, Christmas lights jammed into a box last January, or a life so messed up and confused peace is only a dream? The thought of lining things out is so overwhelming walking away seems to be the only smart option.

As a kid, jumbling through my ballerina jewelry box, I found a gold necklace crumpled and knotted. I was sure it was ruined until my Dad took over. As he talked and worked I slowly began to understand the power of a little bit.

Laying the chain on the kitchen table, he gently tapped each knot until it loosed then he could pull it apart. Within a few minutes, like magic, a straight chain appeared. It took some time, but with patience, taking on one knot at a time, it worked.

Why do we give up so easily? If it doesn’t work, we back off, throw it away or get a new one. The problem is we’re so programmed for instant gratification our patience evaporates if anything is more than a Google away.

Consider this:

• If the average book is 240 pages and you read only 10 pages five days a week you will have read 11 books in one year.
• If in January you start saving just $10.00 a week, by Christmas time you will have almost $500.00 to shop with.
• If you gave up drinking one soda a day, in a year that cuts out 51,100 calories. If 3,500 calories equals a pound then 14 pounds would melt away.

How many big changes could be made if we understood the compounding effect of a little bit? So starting today step back, take a good look at the giant staring you in the face, and start taking it apart one knot at a time.