The 1% rule

Hi all, Happy Sunday.

I love the gym, and I'm typically always full of enthusiasm to train. Regarding discipline, my biggest issue is setting time aside to rest properly. This morning, however, I lacked motivation; I was not in the mood to go to the gym. Regardless I went, and during the session, when my enthusiasm to really push in the final sets was lacking, I remembered these two mathematical expressions:

The importance of showing up

Above is the so-called 1% rule. Simply improving by 1% per day, every day for a year, can lead to incredible results. This is due to the power of compounding; just 1% can seem insignificant over time, but these marginal gains add up.

This is why we need to continue to show up when trying to achieve something, even when our motivation may be lacking. The big long-term success we seek is made up of it each and every one of these minor improvements, even if we can't see it at the time.

This week the Wimbledon tennis tournament begins in London. Tennis players are a perfect example of the 1% rule. The greatest players all talk about the time they have spent in their careers simply practising the same shots over and over and over again, looking to incrementally improve every aspect of their game.

Implementation idea

Think about how you can improve by just 1% each day across your daily activities. If we’re trying to achieve big things, naturally, we want to be making big significant jumps, but the reality is that it is difficult to sustain that over time. Whilst we should aim for big successes, let’s ensure that even on the days we don’t, we continue to progress marginally.

Greatness is not achieved overnight but through consistent dedication. A ruthless commitment to progress, no matter how small, can yield remarkable results in the long run.

Best, Alex Joshi.

On my bedside table:

• YouTube: I’ve recently been watching the channel ‘Nonstop Dan’, by a guy Dan who reviews business class flights for a living. If you’re into flying, and the pursuit of excellence, I find it interesting to see how little touches can really transform the customer experience. (link)

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