Learn English – English Idiom for “the squirrel feeds itself arduously”

idiom-requests

I am looking for an English equivalent to the German idiom Mühsam ernährt sich das Eichhörnchen. Which literally translates to the squirrel feeds itself arduously. It's used to describe any arduous or cumbersome task that has a lot of minuscule steps and ultimately reaches the target. Exactly as the squirrel that gathers hundreds of nuts and hides them in dozens of places for months to prepare for the winter.

It is mainly used as (self-)motivation or justification after reaching seemingly no progress.

"I worked all day and I feel like I didn't make any progress."

"Well, (Mühsam ernährt sich das Eichhörnchen.)

I found slowly but surely, but I am looking for something more visual.

Best Answer

"Rome was not built in a day" = It took hundreds of years to build Rome.

  • The proverb is usaully quoted by a person who has been blamed for slow work, or to a person who is impatient at not being immediately successful in what he tries to do. (Common English Proverbs)

"I worked all day and I feel like I didn't make any progress."

"Well, Rome wasn't built in a day.

  • Rome wasn't built in a day: Important work takes time. This expression functions as an injunction or plea for someone to be patient. For example, you can't expect her to finish this project in the time allotted; Rome wasn't built in a day

This phrase was a French proverb in the late 1100s but was not recorded in English until 1545.

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