How do you succeed when 199 out of 200 have failed for the last 70+ years?

In 2010, I read an incredible story that still inspires me to this day.

And I want to share it with you now because when you hear it, you'll understand right away how powerful it is.

The story was about a woman named Julie who had successfully lost weight and improved her health using a method nobody, not even her doctors, believed would work.

This would be impressive enough if Julie had succeeded at all, because study after study reports that at least 9 out of 10 people who lose any weight at all will gain it all back, and then some, within five years.

This has been true for at least the last 70+ years.

And the numbers are getting worse as time goes on, despite the horrifying consequences of the obesity epidemic, including blindness and amputation from adult onset diabetes, heart disease, stroke, etc.

None of these awful fates seem to be slowing the train down.

So anyone who succeeds in changing their body long term is already an outlier of the highest caliber.

But the way Julie succeeded is the really incredible part, because she gave the world a method available to anyone.

It does not take any special talent, or insider knowledge, or unfair advantage in life.

It's available to all of us, all of the time.

Here's how Julie did it: for one minute a day (60 seconds), she would march in place in front of the TV.

That's it.

That was her daily regimen.

Why was it so successful? Because in a world where people demand you cut 500 calories a day, start jogging, run sprints or high intensity intervals, throw kettlebells, no pain, no gain, etc. etc....

Julie's method snuck past all the fear, resistance, excuses, procrastination... her simple, beautiful technique snuck past every obstacle and slid right into the promised land.

60 seconds a day only, she marched in place in front of the TV.

Then, she was satisfied with herself. She trusted that in this world, a seed planted will grow, if only given time.

As the weeks went by, she asked her doctor what else she could do in one minute a day.

And it was only a few months before Julie was showing up to full aerobics classes and loving them, completing each class with enthusiasm.

Don't you see the genius of this?

Don't you see the magic of this?

Doesn't this delight you to even consider? Isn't your mind already exploding with fireworks about how you might apply this to your life?

If Julie had started with the aerobics class, she would have joined the 67% of people who never even use their gym membership.

She would have joined the 80% of New Year's Resolutions that fail by February.

Even if she had initial success, ultimately, she would most likely have joined the 199 out of 200 that will be worse off than when they started, because they tried to change too much too soon.

Statistically, she would have failed.

But Julie didn't fail!

Julie set a goal and took a step so small, most people would have dismissed it as completely useless. But most people would be wrong.

Julie beat Vegas.

Julie beat City Hall.

She succeeded where 199 out of 200 will fail as reliably as gravity.

Julie is my hero.

And how do we apply Julie's kung-fu secret to business?

Aim for small goals.

Small conversions.

Small commitments.

Do this daily.

And then... watch it all grow.

To illustrate, have you heard of Dennis Yu's dollar a day strategy?

If you haven't, you owe yourself a day of exploring every interview Dennis has done about his dollar-a-day strategy on YouTube.

Then ask yourself... what is the smallest step I could get my target audience to take to get them closer to the sale?

Maybe you write a short article, not about what you sell, but about the problem you solve.

For example, let's say you sell home security systems.

Don't try to go for the sale out of the gate.

You're thinking too big. You're asking for marriage before the first date.

Why not write an article or post an interview about why people should fear home break-ins and have a healthy respect for the danger in the first place?

Don't even talk about your product yet.

Just get the interview or the article highlighting the pain, the problem, up on social media.

Then, for a dollar a day, write five different headlines and hooks for the article, and set the goal for "engagement".

Remember, you're NOT trying to make the sale yet.

You are only aiming to get your prospect thinking about the danger, agreeing it's something worth preparing for.

So you put your article up, and you test five or six different emotional appeal for $1 a day.

When a week or two goes by and the numbers show you what's winning and what's not, first you nix the ones that aren't winning.

Get rid of them.

Then, with ads that are getting some action, you retarget those who have engaged with the ad with the next smallest mental step they would need to take toward you.

Remember, we're thinking small.

Maybe your home security solutions use a new technology that no one else is using, so you write an article just about this particular technology and what the advantages are.

But you DON'T sell your product or make a pitch.

That's too much.

You just want it in their head that now they agree they should protect their home, it's also true they need this new technology.

Then, same as above.

You back off and let them engage with the ad.

You study the comments and make notes.

You see what people are saying,. How they agree. How they object. What you need to show them to change their minds or keep them going.

Now... now you have an audience of people who you know are not only thinking about the problem, but either agreeing or needing some more information about that technology you use.

Okay, how much better of a position are you in now than you were before you started?

Wouldn't Julie be proud?

And how much did you have to spend to get here? Did you have to have ulcer-inducing brainstorming meetings about how you're going to double the bottom line in record time 20 times a week? Did you have to try to build Rome in a day?

No.

You spent almost no time, and almost no money, to begin to cultivate the most valuable asset any business could hope for: a loyal, on-fire audience that is sold on you as the answer to all their problems.

Because it's more than just getting them to take those small mental steps. YOU were the one who got them to take those steps.

And that matters.

We live in a world where institutional trust has nearly completely collapsed.

The businesses of the future, the ones that last, will not be the ones that grow the fastest. In fact, that's almost a recipe for failure.

The businesses of the future that last will be those who can build lasting loyalty, quality relationships, and build themselves on the wisdom of reliable, bedrock principles of virtue, performance and growth.

Almost all of these require a slow, methodical, patient approach that is aimed at true service and not profit, results or numbers.

So... to conclude today's writing... the next time you have a business goal, something you want to achieve, especially if the odds are against you...

Remember Julie.

Do not try to run an ultramarathon like David Goggins on day one.

Do not try to "get outside your comfort zone".

No.

Remember Julie.

She marched in place, for 60 seconds a DAY... in front of her television.

What is the smallest step you would need someone to take to begin considering your product?

Go after that.

Set small goals. Take small steps. Ask small questions. And watch your business grow.