Can a measly 1% improvement make a difference? It might not make a difference in a day, but regular 1% improvements can change your life!
Sometimes we set goals so big that were too intimidated to even take the first step. Our brains don’t like the idea of big changes, which is why change can be so uncomfortable. However, a simple 1% change is insignificant enough to slip by our defense mechanisms.
We even have confidence in our ability to improve anything by just 1%.
For our purposes, we’re going to define the 1% rule as making a 1% improvement in every aspect of your life each day.
See how you can embrace the power of small, incremental changes:
1. Small improvements are believable, attainable, and sustainable. Big changes and improvements can be hard to fathom. However, it’s not hard to convince ourselves that we can be 1% better today than we were yesterday.
2. Small improvements lead to big changes. A child learning to walk is a perfect example. Consider how long it takes a child to learn how to go from being able to crawl to being able to run. Each of these processes is a series of tiny daily improvements.
3. Look for areas in which you can make a 1% improvement. Look at your own life for areas where you could make small improvements each day. Consider your health, career, finances, and relationships.
• Could you be 1% better at your job today than you were yesterday? What would you do better?
4. Track your progress. Note the daily changes you make in your behavior and any results you experience. Tracking your progress will prove to you that this process is effective. Seeing progress will also encourage you to continue.
5. Just being 1% better can lead to winning as much as 100% of the rewards. 1% improvements don’t just lead to great gains. Sometimes being just 1% better than your competition is all the difference you need.
• When five companies make a sales pitch to a potential client, the best pitch gets all of the work. A one percent advantage can lead to 100% of the benefits. Never underestimate the power of 1%.
6. Progress is motivation. Studies have shown that nothing is consistently more motivating than progress. Even losing 1 pound can be a great boost to one’s moral. Most of us are intimidated by big goals, but we love to see any form of progress. Progress alone can keep us enthusiastic.
7. Ask yourself, “If I improved every area of my life by 1% each day, what would the result be in a year?” How much would your life change? How much better would you be at your job? What changes would you see in your earnings and your savings? How much stronger would your relationships be?
• Over time, a 1% daily improvement will completely renovate your life. Imagine each part of your life being 365% better. That figure even ignores the power of compounding.
Avoid dismissing the power of making small changes in your life. It can be challenging to believe that making such a small change can provide benefits. However, the math is simple to understand. Over the course of a year, those small improvements lead to huge changes in the results you experience.
