What If the Impossible Was Just a Series of Tiny Steps?

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Good morning Grinder,

What’s the one goal you’ve buried? The one you dream about when you’re stuck in traffic, staring at the ceiling at 2:00 a.m., or watching someone else live the life you secretly wish was yours?

Maybe it’s writing that novel you never started. Launching that business idea sitting in your notes app. Learning to play the piano. Running a marathon. Or simply feeling like your life is yours again—centered, strong, and intentional.

Now ask yourself this: what’s really stopping you?

Is it a lack of time? Talent? Resources? Focus?

According to Stephen Duneier—former finance executive turned world-record-holding artist, adventurer, and speaker—the real barrier isn’t any of that. The truth is more surprising and, honestly, way more empowering.

It’s your decisions. Tiny ones. The kind you make every day without even realizing how powerful they are.

And in this TEDx talk, Duneier reveals exactly how shifting just one habit of decision-making can change not just your year—but the next five, ten, or even fifty years of your life.

Watch the talk here before you continue. It’s just 18 minutes, and it might reshape how you see everything:

The Power of Micro-Decisions

When Stephen Duneier was a student, he had one major problem: he couldn’t focus. While other students could concentrate for 30, 40, even 60 minutes, he was maxed out at five to ten. In a world that glorifies deep focus, this was a disadvantage. He didn’t try to change who he was—he accepted it. But he also got smarter about how to work with it.

He started breaking everything down into smaller parts. Instead of reading chapters, he read paragraphs. He set short bursts of attention and gave himself permission to switch tasks. Then he’d come back and repeat. What happened next was incredible. With these micro-adjustments, his performance skyrocketed. He went from a struggling student to graduating with honors, getting accepted to top graduate programs, and eventually leading a successful career in finance.

But here’s where it gets interesting. He didn’t stop with academics. He began applying the same philosophy—tiny decisions, consistently executed—to every area of his life.

Over the years, he learned to fly helicopters, climbed mountains, ran ultramarathons, learned foreign languages, took on artistic projects that made headlines, and even set a Guinness World Record by crocheting the largest granny square on Earth—all while managing a full-time career.

Not because he was born with superhuman focus or some kind of rare discipline. But because he made one choice: to get intentional about the micro-decisions that fill our day and quietly shape our life.

Why Most People Never Start (And Why You’ll Be Different)

The reason most people never chase their biggest goals isn’t laziness. It’s scale. We look at the size of the dream and feel overwhelmed. We see the final masterpiece and not the tiny brushstrokes. We think, “I’ll never have the time,” or “I’ll never be that good,” so we don’t even begin.

Duneier offers a different lens.

Imagine you’re shown a hyper-detailed painting and asked to replicate it. You’d probably freeze. But then you’re told: just copy this one small gray square. That’s it. And then the next. Suddenly, the task feels doable. That’s exactly how any goal works when you zoom in.

It’s not the size of the ambition that determines success—it’s how small you’re willing to start.

The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

The secret, Duneier says, is not to fixate on talent or outcomes. The key is to become a better decision-maker. Every moment you get to choose between what serves your goal and what serves your comfort. Watch Netflix or write one paragraph. Scroll social media or practice your presentation for five minutes. Grab takeout or cook a healthy meal.

These aren’t big decisions in the moment. But they stack. They define your trajectory. And over time, the compound effect is astonishing.

He’s not preaching hustle culture. He’s advocating ownership. Intentionality. Self-respect in motion.

When you stop waiting to feel ready or talented or validated, and instead start making slightly better choices—more often than not—you build unstoppable momentum. You realize you never needed to be extraordinary to achieve extraordinary things. You just needed to show up in small ways, consistently.

So What’s Next For You?

Let’s stop romanticizing the big moments and start honoring the small ones. Your dream doesn’t need a grand announcement—it needs five minutes of your attention. Today. Tonight. Tomorrow.

Write the first sentence, even if it’s bad. Send the email you’ve drafted ten times. Go on a walk. Read two pages. Pick up the guitar. Say “no” to something that steals your time and “yes” to something that builds your vision.

Start where you are. Do what you can. And trust that every small action is casting a vote for your future.

You are not stuck. You are just one micro-decision away from a better trajectory. And the best part? You get to make that decision again tomorrow.

Stephen Duneier’s story isn’t about having some rare gift. It’s about building a life one deliberate, imperfect, courageous step at a time. He reminds us that goals aren’t intimidating when we break them down—and that we are far more capable than we give ourselves credit for.

The difference between dreaming and doing isn’t luck. It’s choice.

And you get to choose again today.

See you at the starting line—one small square at a time.

To progress, purpose, and persistence,

N. Amadeus

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