Yesterday as I was riding I felt my lower back tighten up. It was the type of pain I remember feeling when I was a newbie getting used to the positioning on the bike. It seared down my left leg with each extension but I ignored it, thinking it was due to my lack of fitness and not putting nearly as many hours on the bike as I used to. As I contemplated the source of my discomfort, a pack of PenVelo cyclists came from behind me as we began the ascent up King’s Mountain Road. One rider came up next to me, greeted me, and kindly commented, “I noticed your hips are rocking a bit. You may want to lower your seat just a smidge- like 0.5 cm. You may find it’s much more comfortable. And you’ll have a lot more power with each pedal stroke.” I thanked him and he rode off.

At the top of the hill, I adjusted my seat down. Just a hair. 0.5 cm.

I got back on and WOW, what a difference. In comfort. In power. In overall speed. It was a cascade effect that changed not only biomechanics, but my mental state as well. I felt like a new person with new legs and no back pain. All because of 0.5 cm.

What other areas in life can we experience massive positive results from tiny adjustments? Investing 5% of every paycheck. Meditating for 5 minutes every morning. Waiting 5 minutes to respond mindfully instead of automatically reacting to a triggering person or text or email. Reading 5 pages of a book each day.

Small things make a big difference.