The Compound Effect of Showing Up

Much of the career advice I give focuses on a big move. The promotion chased. The pivot that changed everything. The moment you "bet on yourself."It makes for a good story, but there is more in between those moments.The careers that actually work, the ones people look back on and call impressive, aren't built on breakthroughs. They're built on accumulation. On showing up. Again. And again. Long after the initial enthusiasm has worn off.This is the least glamorous career advice you'll ever receive, but I'll bet it's the most accurate.The Myth of the Big MomentWe love origin stories. The founder who quit their job on a Monday. The leader who gave one speech that changed the culture. The professional who took one risk and never looked back.These stories exist. They're also survivorship bias dressed up as strategy. For every person whose career turned on a single moment, there are thousands whose careers were built one unremarkable day at a time.The compound effect works the same way in…