Tiny advantages stack. Being two minutes early, a little more prepared, one skill deeper. Nobody notices until it adds up.

Small margins look pointless individually, which is exactly why most people skip them. Two minutes early is not impressive on any given day. But the person who is always slightly ahead, slightly more ready and slightly better informed keeps ending up in the right place, and from the outside it looks like luck. It is just accumulation.

Pick two tiny things you can do every time and make them automatic. Arrive before you need to, read the thing before the meeting, learn one extra function of the tool you already use. Nobody will comment on any of it, and in six months your position will be different.