I sometimes imagine that I have a sign in my office, just above the door, that says “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” I am drawn to this idea a lot, especially when I talk with people who are hard on themselves, who discount their own small but sincere efforts as insufficient, or who, sometimes, describe themselves as lazy, incompetent, or unfocused. They are, of course, none of these. If anything, in fact, they are usually exactly the opposite. Hard-working, goal-directed and applied, they tend toward the belief that if they can’t give it their all, there’s no sense even trying. The thing is, that’s not true, not even slightly.

It is not true that you need to take at least two yoga classes a week in order to benefit. And it’s not true that you need to run at least 2 miles every day to get in shape or call yourself active. Nor must you remove every last speck of sugar from your diet to consider yourself a healthy eater.

What is true, in both an abstract as well as a mathematical way — which is why I like thinking about it this way — is that whereas ten minutes is twice five (and I seriously hope that there is no objection about that), five is infinitely more than zero. Going for a walk, no matter how short or long, is so very much more than not walking at all. And stretching for a minute or two when you wake up, or when you’re in the shower, or as you climb into bed, is so much more than not stretching at all. You’re just trying to be a little bit more flexible than last year.

Increasing your activity level is about doing a little bit more than you used to. It’s about going slowly, so you don’t injure yourself, only to find yourself right back where you started. It’s about finding more opportunities to move, even if they are small. You’re not training for the Olympics, you’re just trying to move.

Do the math!