How to improve yourself by 1% daily: slow and steady wins the race.

Have you ever felt stagnant or slow? Slow, as in the main character in a movie scene and everything around you is moving at 2x the speed. I have/did. Instead of sitting around sulking, I shifted my mindset and have used this slower period to improve myself by 1% daily. Below I share some of my insights, learnings and benefits.

It's true - Slow and steady wins the race.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Because so many people have slid into my direct messages in the last few months asking me what keeps me so resilient, what's the secret to my energy or how I stay on top of my game.

The 3 years have seen hyper-growth - business, brand, BBC show, book etc - which I am SO grateful for, but at some point a flatline was inevitable - imagine going from 100mph to 10 .. you're going to feel the change and a little fog.

Despite the drama, this pause period has been more "productive" than the productivity one pretends to feel staring at the screen all day typing away (on average, 3 hours a day.)

The idea of a detox or daily improvement isn't new to me, as I wrote about in HELLO! Magazine , where research tells us that moments of stagnation or pause may be best to build creativity, and confidence and consider all the next moves.

I have spent the last few months flicking through books and watching YouTube channels trying to find how to fill my time. It's reassuring to know that this moment is ordinary in the entrepreneurial journey with nothing to fear and all to gain.

So, staying true to my values of authenticity and sharing, I am sharing how I have invested in myself in the background and the success that's come of being slow and steady.

The AH HA moment came after reading a few chapters of James Clears' Atomic Habits - to manifest my next 3 years and improve the pace, I need to action some habits and invest in myself during this slow period. So, staying true to my values of authenticity and sharing, I am sharing how I have invested in myself in the background and the success that's come of being slow and steady.

Here are 3 ways to improve yourself by 1% daily, from someone who's trying to do this.

1. Swapping reality shows for real-time TV, news or documentaries

As an always-on entrepreneur, I have found escape in reality shows - love is Blind, the Kardashians, selling the OC ... etc. Despite feeling inspired by their sense of style, eye for good property or the way to market a storyline, my brain was going numb.

So instead of investing in reality TV:

• I wake up to Bloomberg Live playing in the background - learning from the stock market and successful entrepreneurs. This has opened me upto new interview styles from the likes of Emily Chang & Francine Lacqua and stories of successful female businesses women eg Emma Grede and Leena Nair
• I watch insightful documentaries or short clips from Architectural Digest or Business Traveller - which have helped me to improve my YouTube production and editing for travel vlogs.
• I am more intentional with my time in front of the screen, using YouTube to teach myself topics such as artificial intelligence, web3 and SEO - all of which have come in handy over the last few months as I land more work facilitating panels, interviews or keynotes.

Overall, this swap has helped to increase my knowledge of business trends and competence when conversing with professionals.

2. Trying a new hobby - nothing to do with my day-to-day job.

Building a business looks fun but can be a determinantal to health, especially when your priorities aren't aligned. So since coming back from Asia in February 2024, a food fantasy and place I think about almost daily, I have been cooking more meals at home. Mostly, using Pinterest for recipe inspiration and instructions.

Cooking has made me more confident - from researching to creating lists, whipping something up and trying again even if it's not quite right - all skills I can take into other areas of my life. Okay, so I'm not quite ready to open up a supper club but I am enjoying the learning process.

Another one, which I kept quiet about but has been significant in building my confidence in the swimming pool by investing in lessons - which have paid off massively, In June 2024 I spent 2 weeks in the Maldives with Kagi Maldives Resort & Spa and Villa Resorts snorkelling - an activity I had never dared to do before due to my fear of water and yet daily I was ready to jump in to swim with the sea life.

Overall, trying new things and finding a new hobby has been great because of mental health, confidence and forward thinking. Rather than thinking about pure profit, I have had the chance to enjoy the experience of doing something new - which is easy to forget in the commercial landscape.

3. Enjoying the art of doing nothing

This one may seem odd in the list of improvements but as a busybody with a busy brain, ADHD and migraines, I used to consider the brain pain as a badge of honour as if I was doing something all of the time, as if that meant being productive. It sounds silly now as I type it, but back then, it was the consequences of the hustle (*ugh*).

So, after fiddling my way into sitting and doing nothing for 20 minutes, I have slowly added breathing techniques, meditation, pilates and walking into the mix so I can do nothing in different ways to unlock different benefits. Plenty of scientific articles and academic papers suggest that doing nothing can help to unlock creativity, feel less depressed and restore mental well-being.

Overall, by doing nothing, I have less brain fog, new ideas, enhanced memory, less impulsive decisions, increased patience and improved self-worth - winning!

So, has daily improvement driven any tangible results?

Interesting question. And most definitely yes. Here are 3 ways I have seen these daily improvements show up in my day-to-day working efforts.

1. New and improved SEO strategy, thumbnails and editing for YouTube interviews which landed me a voice-over opportunity with 谷歌
2. Shared learnings and content on business travel, which put me in front of mind for producers of Business Traveller when they were looking for an interviewer for a quick turnaround with the CEO of Plaza Premium Group Jonathan Song Song Hoi See
3. An invitation to the Art of Living breathing course in London for 3 days where I was taught various breathing techniques and networked with a wider community on a similar journey.

A little every day goes a long way

According to the book and multiple online posts, improving yourself by 1% improves a skill 37x. And so, through this, I aim to be better for myself so that as the business and brand grow in stealth mode, I am ready, prepared and in control.

In the next 3 years, I plan on fast-tracking my public speaking activities, writing another book, having my talk show and growing the LMF consultancy and networking app, focusing on the USA, Middle East, Africa and East Asia.

I hope this is helpful advice and food for thought for anyone who is stuck, tired or wanting to start their self-improvement journey and a little reminder that small everyday steps are more significant than some grand gestures we see online.

#productivity #business #leadership #adhd #businesstravel #skills #howto #dailythoughts

SONYA BARLOW - Award Winning Entrepreneur, BBC Broadcaster, Diversity Coach, Travel & Tech Writer & MC & Author /?Founder, @LMFnetwork & @sonyabarlowuk? | Instagram | Linkedin | Book | Ted Talk