Why Perseverance and Curiosity Turn Years of Effort into Life-Changing Results

Unlocking the Magic of Compounding Through Persistent Curiosity and Effort

Abstract

In this article, I delve into the power of long-term cause-and-effect dynamics, reflecting on how consistent actions compound over time in both personal and collaborative efforts. Using examples from my fitness journey, professional endeavors, and health insights, I advocate for perseverance and curiosity as catalysts for extraordinary achievements, emphasizing that success often arises from years of seemingly minor efforts. I highlight the non-linear, multiplicative nature of life’s results, encouraging trust in the eventual connection of life’s “dots” through sustained commitment.

Introduction

Most things in nature that seem to happen by chance, at the last moment, due to bad luck or fortune, are actually the result of months, if not years, of creation.
Just as a volcanic eruption or earthquake is the final effect of centuries-long efforts, all four of the major deadly diseases of our time are the result of years of harmful behaviors.
Note that this principle also works in a positive way: the fantastic success of a single day is often the result of a long series of events, often considered marginal, that lead to an extraordinary outcome.
People tend to overestimate what they can achieve in a year (especially with January resolutions) and heavily underestimate what they can accomplish in ten years.
This article is different from others I’ve written for The C-Athlete because not only is it late compared to when I should have published it, but it wasn’t even supposed to be written. Let me explain why.

Discussion

The C-Athlete is a project born from the minds of three people: myself, Serina, and Novi. From the start, it was conceived as a side gig, non-profit, separate from our professions, though all three of us use it to share our lessons learned with collaborators, clients, and friends as much as possible. Serina keeps the editorial plan in order, and every Monday a new article is published.
As often happens with a project, there’s an initial phase of great enthusiasm, a thousand ideas, and eagerness to work on it. That’s how it was with this project too, and for a while, each of us took turns writing our articles on time every Monday.
Then we entered what I call the “fatigue phase.” A couple of Mondays were missed (not Serina’s, who can safely skip reading this article :-)).
The community reading the newsletter has grown to about 150 people—not a million, but enough to make us feel satisfied, especially since most of them read every article we write.
Goal achieved?
Not even close. We want the lessons we’ve learned in a lifetime to spread much further and in a more pervasive way.
So why the fatigue phase?
Because, by nature, we all want immediate results, and even when we know it’s not feasible, enthusiasm wanes after a while. We’re dopamine addicts. All of us, in one way or another.
And for those trying to break free from this cycle of instant gratification, messages and social media reinforce the brain’s desire > discovery > reward > desire loop with their badges, likes, and comments.
We’re in the era of short, very short-term results. There’s no patience to wait, let alone persevere.
But while the fatigue phase is understandable and natural, we must remember that very few things come to fruition with just a few months of effort—it takes years.
That’s why, when we started this project, we gave ourselves at least three to five years to seriously evaluate the results.
This is now a goal I set for every new project. It also helps filter out overly reckless ideas, because once I start, I have to assume it will be part of my life for years. I use this approach for my investments, training, and pretty much everything.

It works.

The reason ties into two key themes: the relationship between today’s results and yesterday’s causes is often a long and complex journey. Effects compound.

Cause > Effect Process

The cause-and-effect process in life is a fundamental principle describing how every action or event (cause) produces a consequence (effect).
In science, causality underpins natural laws. For example, an object’s movement (effect) is determined by an applied force (cause), as described by Newton’s laws.
Individual choices lead to specific outcomes. Actions toward others generate reactions. Empathetic behavior (cause) can strengthen a friendship (effect), while poorly managed conflict can damage a relationship and trigger further events, and so on.

Life isn’t always linear. Sometimes, a single cause can produce multiple or unexpected effects, and external factors (like chance or context) can complicate the cause-and-effect relationship. It’s obvious, you might say—an investment’s outcome depends on market conditions. But the point is how you got to that investment. What led you there? The school you attended, the knowledge you developed about that company, and so on. Why that investment at that moment?

In some traditions, like karma in Buddhism or Hinduism, actions are believed to determine future consequences, even across lifetimes.

The takeaway isn’t just to be mindful of your actions, but that you often need to venture out, explore new things, have the patience to keep asking questions, and stay persistently curious. This curiosity—and its immediate effect of uncovering new, overlooked aspects—is the foundation of genius. It was for Leonardo da Vinci, and it was for Steve Jobs.

The dots will connect later. You’ll look back, and it will seem magical. Someone might say you were lucky, but in reality, you were persistent and curious.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” — Steve Jobs

Compounding Gentle Nudge

We always overestimate what we can achieve in a year while heavily underestimating what we can accomplish in ten.
Think back to ten years ago—what you did, how you’ve changed, where you are now. Looking back, you’ll see the chain of causes and effects, but above all, you’ll realize that in the areas where you applied yourself consistently, you’ve improved immensely.
Over the last ten years, I’ve radically changed how I train, eat, and rest. In the last five, consistency in training has given me fantastic results, both in terms of positive energy at work, with family, and in sports. My personal bests in running, for example, all came in the last two years, despite running my whole life and being over 50.
Consistency rewards or punishes, even if the improvement is tiny each time you apply yourself. What matters is that the percentage of improvement builds on something better (or worse) than before. And percentages can be magical.
Here’s an example:
If you improve your running by 1% every month:

• After one year, you’ll be 12.7% better. Not bad.

• After three years, 43%. Impressive, but three years of training, you might say!

• After ten years, you’ll be over 3.3 times stronger! Wow!

Of course, I haven’t accounted for age. If you’re over 40, you’ll need to counter muscle and aerobic decline, which works against your improvements. But if you’re consistent and persistent, you can fight it fiercely. In other words, if you want to climb stairs at a jog when you’re 80, you need to be able to run at 10 min/km uphill when you’re 50.

Compounding also applies to bad habits.

Smoking a couple of cigarettes a day, just in the evening—what’s the big deal, you might say? And you’re right. Two cigarettes are nothing.
But let’s do the math.

A cigarette produces about 10-12 liters of total smoke, of which a fraction (about 0.5-1 liter) is actually inhaled into the lungs, depending on how you smoke.
In a year, that’s 730 cigarettes. Not exactly nothing.
Smoking two a day for a year, you inhale about 365-730 liters of smoke. That’s like breathing the smoke from 180-360 two-liter water bottles or a small inflatable pool filled with smoke.
One cigarette does little, but daily persistence triggers the compounding effect. In one year, it’s minor; in ten, perhaps still moderate; but in thirty?

Most cancers, cardiovascular issues, and neurodegenerative diseases stem from behaviors, deficiencies, or exposure to harmful agents over years. It’s not bad luck. Sure, there’s unpredictability, but more often, these are the final effects of a process lasting ten years or more.

Conclusions

The most significant outcomes in my life—whether in personal growth, health, or collaborative projects—stem not from quick wins but from years of steady, often unnoticed effort. By committing to perseverance and curiosity, I’ve seen how small choices, like sticking with a project, refining my fitness routine, or steering clear of harmful habits, can yield profound results over time. The compounding effect, for better or worse, reminds me to stay intentional with my daily actions and patient with my progress. In a world that often pulls me toward instant gratification, I’ve learned to trust the long-term process, staying dedicated to my goals even when the path feels slow. Looking back, I see how my persistent efforts have connected in ways that feel almost magical, turning small steps into remarkable leaps. Ultimately, I believe the true power of persistence lies in its ability to transform my incremental actions into a future that reflects the depth of my sustained commitment.