How to Change You’re Habits and Get 1% Better Every Day
How many diet plans, New Year resolutions, and morning routines have you started and failed?
Hopefully not as many as me!
And it’s NOT your fault!
We live in a world that expects immediate results. While our conscious brain says that we understand that not everything can be as instantaneous as an Amazon order or an Uber trip. The emotional part says I WANT IT NOW!
The world has reprogrammed your way of thinking.
So you need to revise your thinking and embrace the small changes that lead to big things.
This can be applied to any part of your life. It is a process and not a quick fix. But by understanding and following the process you will see results, and as the results become clear the process will become easier to apply.
Rinse and repeat.
You just need to begin.
Improve by 1% daily, and the compound effect will work for you.
Everyone focuses on the results and not the process and this leads to disappointment.
You watch the TikTok of the ripped guy telling you his 3-week plan, and you're disappointed when you’re not in the shape of your life in the first month. This leads to the feeling of failure. The draw of the intense workouts leaves you.
And you reverse your progress and give up the gym plan.
Focus on small, manageable changes and stick to them.
Do you always have a sugary drink at lunch? Cut it out. That’s it, done, you are now better than yesterday. You have improved, not in a way that will show you instant results - nothing achieves that - but you are 1% better and can build upon it.
A can of Coke contains 136 calories, if you cut that out from your lunch for every day of the year that will be 50,735 fewer calories consumed in the year.
That’s almost 20 full days of calorie intake for an adult male in a year.
I know, I couldn't quite believe it myself the first time I worked it out.
Not everyone drinks a sugary drink at lunchtime, and this will only work if it is then replaced with water or another 0-calorie beverage. But the example is clear.
One simple change that will have no effect today will pay huge dividends over the long haul.
You should be trying to make life changes and not quick fixes. Starting a gym plan that you only plan to stick to until you have lost those 12 lbs will see that weight return. It is making the small changes that are permanent that will make the difference.
"What gets tracked, gets improved.” - James Clear
Tracking your progress leads to action.
Using a habit tracker, a journal, or whatever works for you, but track your aims and achievements. You will be reminded to act, while also giving you feedback and encouragement as you build momentum. It will keep you accountable to yourself.
Use a process linked with your tracking.
Having a process to implement your improvements is key.
We will all naturally lean toward the easiest option available. The path of least resistance. Make sure you have made the harder options as easy as possible.
If you’re creating a new morning routine, set out everything you need the night before.
This could be having youe gym kit ready to go when you wake. Or having your writing plan set out on a notepad by your computer.
Take away everything that is an excuse not to start.
Make your targets to easy to miss.
Set your minimum standard low
Aim to go for a 5 minute walk or 5 minutes of writing. Once you start the activity you mind will find it easier to do more. But, if you only do 5 minutes one day, you will still have achieved your goal.
This stops the feeling of failure.
“The hardest part is turning up"
Your system will both encourage you and prevent you from feeling a faiulure on your bad days.
It will encourage you and reward you with the dopamine as you tick off your small wins. They will seem small, but over time will grow and become bigger. The 1% better every day will compound into the best version of you.
“A system is more powerful than a goal.” - James Clear
The hardest part of doing anything is starting. Give yourself permission to become a new person and celebrate your wins. You won't see the results overnight, but we are all in the race for a lifetime.