- Original English: Inch by inch is a cinch; yard by yard is hard.
- Chinese proverb:千里之行,始于足下
- English gloss: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
It conveys the same idea: big goals feel daunting, but taking small, steady steps makes things achievable.
Short alternative if you want to stress accumulation of tiny efforts: 聚沙成塔,集腋成裘 — great results come from many small bits.
