Improve by 1% Daily
In our airbrushed, social media-influenced world that often expects and demands immediate results and instant success, the idea of making incremental improvements over time seems counterintuitive. However, the reality is that true growth and development are not achieved overnight. Instead, it is through consistent effort and small advancements that real progress is made.
Focusing on improving everything in your life all at once can be overwhelming and ultimately ineffective. Many people, when faced with the daunting task of improving everything simply won’t improve anywhere. And those that do attempt to improve all at once often find themselves burned out and frustrated, as the sheer magnitude of trying to tackle every area of improvement simultaneously can be daunting. Instead, it is much more practical and sustainable to focus on making small, steady improvements over time.
By striving for just a 1% improvement each day, you can gradually level up your leadership skills and abilities. This approach allows for a more manageable and attainable way of making progress. Over time, these incremental improvements compound and result in significant growth.
Some key benefits of focusing on incremental improvements include:
Reduced feelings of overwhelm and stress (you don’t have to do everything all at once)
Increased motivation and confidence as you see progress being made (it’s the snowball effect!)
Greater sustainability in maintaining long-term growth and development (I don’t know about you, but I’m more likely to keep going if I can see short-term wins quickly, instead of just focusing on something WAY down the road)
Improved focus and clarity in setting achievable goals (incremental improvement lets you pilot and pivot, learning and evolving your efforts over time)
As John C. Maxwell once said, "Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time." By adopting a mindset of striving for incremental improvements, you can ultimately drive lasting change and success in your personal and professional life.
So, rather than trying to improve everything all at once, start by focusing on making small, consistent improvements each day. A 1% increase in performance might seem insignificant in the moment. But stacking that 1% on top of yesterday’s 1% and doing that every day of the year will add up to significant improvement over the long-term.