Critical Mass

When we continuously perform a habit, accumulate knowledge, or invest money, we enjoy the benefits of compound interest. The more we do it, the more it compounds.

We continuously complete a habit, we get better and better at it as we practice more. That’s compound interest.

When we learn, we deepen our understanding of a topic. As we keep learning, we get closer to mastery. That’s compound interest.

When we invest money, our money earns more money. And that earned money in turn earns more money. That’s compound interest.

This compound interest might not amount to much at first. But if you keep at it, you end up seeing something meaningful happen. This is where we approach Critical Mass.

Critical Mass is defined as “the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction.” This sustained nuclear reaction doesn’t occur until this amount of fissile material is accumulated. You don’t need more of it. It’s the minimum amount, but the required amount.

You can apply this concept to our behaviors. The amount of money we invest, the number of times we practice something, or what we learn. We may not see any meaningful results at first. But if we persist through The Dip, if we persist through the pain and The Obstacles, we hit Critical Mass. That’s where we see the real, meaningful results from our hard work.

It doesn’t happen right away, that’s the point. You need to see your behaviors through and persist. Stick with them, and that’s when the rewards show themselves.

This requires hard work, persistence, and intentionality in which behaviors you stick through, and which you don’t.