1 % better every day. what does it mean
1% better every day” is concept that refers to the idea of making small, incremental improvements each day. The philosophy behind this is that tiny, consistent improvements compound over time, leading to significant growth and progress. It’s about focusing on small, manageable changes rather than trying to overhaul everything at once. Here’s a deeper look at what it means:
1. Small, Consistent Efforts
The key idea is that instead of making huge, drastic changes, you focus on making small improvements each day. This can apply to anything in life—personal growth, health, career, or skills. For instance, if you want to improve your fitness, instead of committing to an intense 2-hour workout every day (which might be unsustainable), you might focus on improving by just 1% each day. This could mean doing 5 extra minutes of exercise, drinking an extra glass of water, or stretching more. Over time, these small changes add up to substantial progress.
2. The Power of Compounding
The idea of compounding comes into play here. When you get just 1% better each day, you’re not just making incremental changes that add up linearly; you’re making improvements that compound. This means that a 1% improvement every day is not just adding 1% per day; over time, these small improvements grow exponentially. For example, if you improve by 1% every day, in a year (365 days), you’ll end up nearly 37 times better in whatever you’re working on. This exponential growth is why small changes have such a big impact over time.
3. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
A major part of this mindset is that progress matters more than perfection. Rather than trying to achieve perfect results right away, you focus on making gradual improvements. This mindset helps reduce the overwhelming pressure of perfectionism and gives you the freedom to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process. It encourages you to stay in the game, because it’s the consistent progress, not immediate perfection, that leads to success.
4. Build Strong, Sustainable Habits
The “1% better every day” approach focuses on habits rather than just outcomes. By making small changes each day, you build sustainable, long-term habits. These habits, which are easier to maintain than drastic changes, become the foundation for continued growth. For example, if you want to write a book, committing to writing 300 words every day, rather than trying to write 10,000 words at once, will lead to progress without burnout.
5. Avoiding Burnout
Trying to make big changes or improvements all at once can lead to burnout. With the 1% approach, you avoid overwhelming yourself because the goals are small, achievable, and part of a steady rhythm. This way, you don’t feel discouraged by setbacks or overwhelmed by the scale of what you’re trying to achieve. The focus on gradual improvement allows you to build resilience over time.
6. Reflection and Adaptation
Getting 1% better every day also means regularly reflecting on your progress and making small adjustments along the way. By taking the time to assess where you are and how far you’ve come, you can tweak your efforts to keep improving. This continuous adaptation ensures you don’t stagnate and that you stay on the right path toward your goals.
7. Embracing the Process
The 1% better mindset encourages you to embrace the process of growth rather than just focusing on the end result. It’s about enjoying the small wins along the way and appreciating the gradual transformation. By focusing on the daily improvements, you’re more likely to stay motivated and maintain momentum because you’re always looking for ways to improve, no matter how small.
8. Cumulative Impact
Over time, the small daily improvements lead to profound results. You don’t need to focus on making large leaps or visible progress every day. Instead, by consistently improving just a little bit, the effects multiply. The goal is not to be perfect every day, but to stay consistent with those small, positive actions.
Example of the 1% Concept in Action:
Let’s say you’re learning to play the piano. Instead of trying to master a whole song in a day, getting 1% better might mean learning one new chord or practicing a specific technique for 10 minutes. Each day, you add a little more—perhaps refining your technique or increasing your practice time. At the end of the year, you’ll have made huge progress, even though each improvement seemed small at the time.
Final Thoughts:
The concept of getting 1% better every day encourages sustainable growth, resilience, and long-term success. It’s about building momentum through small, consistent actions. Over time, these tiny improvements will add up to remarkable transformation—making you more skilled, healthier, smarter, and overall better in whatever you set your mind to. The beauty of this approach is that it doesn’t require drastic effort or perfection; it’s about focusing on continuous, small steps forward.