Small Starfish Moments
the key to consistent success in 2025
Kidult and me. Dominican Republic 2025
An old man was walking along the beach when he noticed a young boy picking up starfish and throwing them back into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, "Excuse me, but what are you doing?"
The boy replied, "The sun is rising and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw the starfish back in, they’ll die."
The old man shook his head and said, "But there's too many starfish on this beach. You can’t possibly make a difference."
After thinking for a moment, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean.
Then, he turned to the old man and said, "Well, I made a difference to that one."
- Adaptation of Loren Eiseley's "Starfish Story" (1969)
A few weeks ago, right on the cusp of the new year, the Kidult and I took a much needed vacation to the Dominican Republic.
A belated Yay! Highschool is OVER! celebration, it was a time of literal and metaphorical unplugging.
And yet, as my brain is wont to do, everywhere I looked I saw reminders of my 2025 goals.
I saw them in the community around us and in the starfish in front of us.
As she and I lay on the beach unwinding I fantasized about all I desire in the upcoming 365 days.
Even I, the Queen of Consistency, yearned to make big sudden leaps or transformative breakthroughs without the quiet patience and patterns I KNOW are required to create sustainable change.
Here’s the thing though: the insights in the Starfish Story (and the patience demanded that specific day--a story for another time) remind us real change does not come from dramatic moments.
All together now→ it stems from consistent, intentional actions that accumulate over time.
3 lessons the Starfish Story teaches about consistent change:
𓇼 Small actions add up over time
The boy’s simple act of throwing one starfish at a time into the ocean might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, yet each starfish saved is a profoundly meaningful act. This teaches us the power of consistent actions in our personal and professional lives.
Big goals, whether they involve personal growth, social impact, or professional success, are often overwhelming when viewed as a whole. The solution lies in breaking them down into small, manageable steps. Instead of focusing on the daunting endgame, commit to daily actions that stack up over time.
Writing one page a day may not feel like much, but over a year, you’ll have written the book.
Choosing to reach out to one new connection weekly can feel (awkward and) slow, but over a year you’ll have grown your community exponentially.
𓇼 Consistency Matters More Than Perfection
The old man’s skepticism at the start of the story reflects the doubt we can all face, whether from ourselves or others, as we pursue meaningful yet i n c r e m e n t a l change.
The boy’s response reminds us of the powerful Consistency Advantage truth: consistency will always be more impactful and sustainable than sporadic, grand efforts.
Consistency builds habits, and habits shape outcomes. The key to staying consistent, as my BFF James Clear reminds us, lies in designing processes that align with our lives and values. Instead of aiming for perfection we, like the boy, focus on showing up and doing the work, even on the hard days.
If your goal is to improve your health in 2025, committing to 20 minutes of movement daily *will* lead to more sustainable results than a sporadic cycle of long, intense gym sessions followed quickly by burnout.
Small ‘starfish moments’ build momentum and foster a sense of accomplishment fueling further efforts.
𓇼 Focus on what you control
Much like the enormity of lifestyle change, career shifts or personal challenges the vastness of the beach and the sheer number of starfish might tempt anyone to give up.
However, the boy in the story persists solely focusing on what’s within his control.
We never need to fix everything; we simply need to focus on the one thing we can influence TODAY. This focus, when paired with consistency, creates ripples that extend beyond our seemingly small efforts.
No matter our goals we CAN impact one person, one community, or one facet of a challenge or issue. Over time, these efforts layer and grow into movements inspiring others to join.
auspicious 2025 omen in the D.R.
Small Starfish Moments, simple, consistent actions repeated over time, will be the foundation of our successes in 2025 and beyond.
They remind us the importance of showing up daily (*especially* when we don’t wanna) focusing on what we can control, and letting small steps compound into something BIG.
Whether it’s a new habit, nurturing a new relationship, or contributing to cause greater than ourselves, these SSM create ripples that last.
So, as we fully step into the potential of this new year, ask yourself:
As always, such a great message. I love the story of the boy and the starfish even more now.
Starfish is one of my favorite stories.