Slow progress can at times be rather discouraging, particularly for a person who is ambitious who may imagine becoming successful very quickly. However, slow progress has the advantage of taking hold because of the habitual nature of the mind. Tapping into that habitual nature can give us the benefit of exponential growth over a long period of time. In regards to the merit that we can gain from good deeds or practicing meditation, the Buddha described the matter this way:
Don’t underestimate merit
…
A water jar fills,
even with water
falling in drops.
With merit — even if
bit
by
bit,
habitually —
the enlightened one fills himself full*.