"Bhikkhus, these are the four right efforts. What four?

Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu produces a wholesome motivation (an aspiration, a goal, an interest, an objective [chanda]), exerts effort (engages in intentional effort [vāyamati]), initiates and sustains energy (the initial spark of motivation and action along with the persistence needed to follow through, even as challenges arise [vīriya + ārabhati]), uplifts (befriends and holds it up [paggaṇhāti]) the mind, and strives to prevent the arising of unarisen harmful (injurious, destructive, bad, or evil [pāpaka]) and unwholesome (unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]) qualities;

He produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives for the giving up of arisen harmful and unwholesome qualities;

He produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives for the arising of unarisen wholesome qualities;

He produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives for the stability (establishment, constancy, continuity [ṭhiti]) and retention (non-confusion and non-decline [asammosa]), growth and full development of arisen wholesome qualities.

These, bhikkhus, are the four right efforts.

Those who develop the right efforts overcome Māra's realm (the sphere of temptation and hindrance [māradheyyābhibhūta]),

they are detached and have crossed over the danger which is birth and death;

They are content, having conquered Māra with his entire army, and are unshakable (unperturbed, unmoved [aneja]),

having gone beyond all of Namuci's (another name for Māra, meaning one who does not let go) forces, they are truly at ease (blessed, with inner joy of having attained liberation [sukhita])."

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The picture (credit) shows the effect of a dedicated effort applied to improve by 1% every day, i.e. improving an aspect by a little over the previous day, done for over a period of a year. Counter intuitively, there is an exponential effect that gradually builds up to produce a net 38x improvement.

At the same time, a decline of 1% every day, although might seem a little slip of effort, when built over a period of time, adds up to over a 33x decline over a period of a year.

If one sets a wholesome motivation to grow in one's application of right effort and then sustains this across any challenges that may arise for a period of time, one should see compounded and accelerated growth in the development of the wholesome qualities of the mind, and in the abandoning of the unwholesome qualities of the mind, and in improvements in one's personal and professional relationships.

Related Teachings:

Causes for the arising and expansion of the five hindrances (AN 1.11 - 20) - Short teachings on causes leading to arising and growth of the hindrances, and on causes leading to decline and abandoning of the hindrances.

Cetokhila sutta - Barriers Of The Mind (MN 16) - The Buddha explains the five barriers and five shackles of the mind that prevents one from coming to growth, increase, and fulfillment in his teaching and training.

Inquiry that lead to the Buddha's cultivation of the bases of psychic ability (SN 51.11) - The Buddha recounts the inquiry that led to the development of the four bases of psychic ability before his full awakening.