The Habit of 1% Better

The Two books that turned my world upside down are. 'The power of positive thinking' by Norman Vincent Peale and recently the book, 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear. Contrary to the common notion of overnight drastic transformation, James Clear speaks of small incremental changes that result in sustainable change. It was a complete mindset shift for me. His approach is one for compound growth where the focus is on 1% growth/improvement daily. A 1% growth may not seem much today but over time the transformation will be massive. In fact after only a year you will be a whooping 37% better than you started.

Why this approach works

Embarking on small incremental changes works great because it is less intimidating and sustainable. Setting massive transformation goals can be more intimidating and may result in one not even embarking on the journey to change and yet incorporating the small incremental change into one's daily routines is easy to take on. It is also easy to adapt the 1% improvement in a variety of one's lifestyle from physical fitness, to reading, and sleeping habits etc.

It also easy to track your progress using today's applications. It is also recommended to celebrate the 'small victories.'

Examples of Real Life 1%Better

.Rather than trying to tackle the full marathon right away, focus on increasing your running distance daily

Instead of overhauling your diet overnight, aim to add, one healthy portion to your meal daily or reduce your unhealthy eating or drinking habits by 1% daily

Instead of aiming to cram a whole book, overnight, commit to a daily habit of reading a portion of it incrementally.

I have personally incorporated these habits in my daily routines and I am now able to do some routines that i couldn't previously do.

The beauty of this approach is it is not about perfection but embarking on a journey to change and achieving the results. One needs to also be patient with themselves. The changes will not be overnight, but trust the process, the changes are occurring, you will be amazed about the outcome, imagine for instance 37% better financially from where you are in 12 months.

Your 1% Better challenge

What small improvement can you embark on from today to get you 1% closer to your goal? Share your commitment and thoughts in the comments section below