1% Better
One of the most important things I learned in my life is that big changes don’t happen in huge leaps. At least rarely. In my experience, changes happen when you start small and are consistent. That is how I moved out of my own darkness. I did not change overnight.
It’s important to have this in mind when we advance on our journey, especially in the beginning. We are all conditioned by the desire for instant gratification. We seek it through social media, food, entertainment, objects… The hole is impossible to fill.
That is why fulfilling our inner potential has become so elusive to us. We want what is easy and immediate. But this is not how nature works. Good things in life need time to mature. We cannot speed up the process. If we desire to flourish, we must understand that change happens over long periods of time.
To be honest, I tried finding the hacks that would speed up my progress. But I stopped when I realized that the journey never ends. There is no point in rushing at all because there isn’t any final destination. Our most important task is to continue moving forward consistently.
What do I mean by moving forward? This is different for each of us. But the idea is that you feel you are making progress. Again, I’m not talking huge leaps. Start small. Tiny steps, done consistently, lead to tidal waves over time. Focusing on getting 1% better every day is more than enough.
In 2018, after reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The Slight Edge, I decided to experiment with this idea. I was feeling quite miserable, unhappy in my studies, depressed and lost. So I focused on making small progress every single day. My mantras were “Start Small” and “1% Better”. I would write them over and over in my journal.
How can I become 1% better today?
Most of my friends continued enjoying the pleasures of student life. But I started waking up early to meditate, read, work out, journal… I narrowed down to a handful of daily habits. Over time, they became easy to do and my 1% gains compounded. After a couple of months, I was investing most of my time in personal development.
In retrospect, I was a bit extreme. I skipped classes and stopped going out. I lived like a hermit and focused only on inner growth. But I felt called to do so. I needed this to build myself. I took the bet of investing in the long run and it worked. That year taught me the power of being consistent and devoted to the process.
So how can we shift the direction of our life? I propose by becoming 1% better every day. Being consistent with the small things. Focusing on taking one step forward.
You can ask yourself what’s the #1 thing you could start or stop doing that would have the greatest impact on your life. It could be meditating 5 minutes or doing some cardio in the morning. Focus on the process, on taking daily action, not the outcome. Celebrate your micro-wins each day as you advance. Doing so will keep you motivated (check out The Progress Principle for more).
Progressively, you will see that something incredible happens. You create momentum. What seemed impossible becomes easy. Your 1% gains compound.
And that’s how big changes happen.
