Swift Current: The 1% secret with Andre Keil

Swift Current #4: Andre Keil and James Clear: Tiny changes, remarkable results: The simple way to dramatically increase your odds of success in life and leadership.

"We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can achieve in a year." (adapted from Gate's Law). "It's small progress sustained over time that matters most."

As many of you know, I (Chuck) dropped out of high school when I was 16.

At that time, I never would have believed I would end up with a graduate degree and a successful business of my own.

How did I arrive here?

Baby steps.

Painfully slow at times, I kept moving forward one goal at a time, and I haven't stopped.

This is the secret to the path of becoming more of the person and leader you want to be.

Building upon this idea, James Clear's Atomic Habits is a compelling and practical guide that informs my own life and how we coach and train life-giving leaders. ?

James says, "In theory, consistency is about being disciplined, determined, and unwavering. In practice, consistency is about being adaptable.?

• Don't have much time? Scale it down.?
• Don't have much energy? Do the easy version.?

Adaptability is the way of consistency."?

Here is my take on the magic of 1%:

Choose a daily action so small it is impossible to make excuses and fail.?

Yup. You may need to pull back on the lofty "take massive action" approach and instead focus your attention on one small step that will get you 1% closer to your ultimate goal, then focus on making it happen EVERY SINGLE DAY.?

Want to be more physically fit??

• Start with one push-up per day, every day. Just ONE! Once you are down on the floor you might find the will to do a few more.

Want to be a better coach for your direct reports??

• When they ask for advice say, "I have some thoughts, but want to hear yours first."

Want to strengthen that relationship?

• Send that text and initiate reconnecting.

Ripple Effect

What is the one super small 1% change you should focus on next?

I met Chuck in 2015, while I was living in Belgium. He was looking for a new Practice Leader to join him in running the global coaching business at the Center for Creative Leadership. We instantly connected and had several magical years together serving top clients from all over the world.?

Joining back up with Chuck and the team at Epic Rivers has been the perfect platform for me to do meaningful work, while also enjoying creativity and having fun with good people.?

We look forward to partnering with you to help your leaders develop the habits they need to be their best.?

Until next time BE LIFE-GIVING!

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