In IT, I constantly have to work OT and take on challenging projects to advance and improve. This has NOTHING in common with showing up and closing tickets, which I can easily do with existing knowledge.
Same with the gym - I constantly have to change up the routine, adjust to injuries, think about diet, etc.
That's not even talking about doing something significant like learning a language outside of work.
It's also the reason things like "atomic habits" are complete bs - you aren't going to get anything significant done in a minute OR an hour a day.
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"It feels like a superpower when you see it start compounding."
Lie / marketing gimmick. There is start up time and cooldown time that people who have never done anything completely neglect. There is also the fact that one big chunk of time is far more efficient than little chunk of times.
Aka you can shoot a bow for 10 mins a day or for an hour once a week and you will see zero improvement, let alone "compounding" improvement.