One Percent Improvement is all it takes! – Hear it from a Recruiter

Can you improve by just 1%? I think everyone feels they can. Can 1% improvement result in major transformation? Absolutely, as long as the change is positive and done consistently. Improving just a little in areas such as health, fitness, financials, relationships, and spirituality can make us into substantially different and better people.

The concept of using a mere 1% change to achieve greatness was successfully employed by two legendary sports coaches, Pat Riley of the LA Lakers and David Brailsford of the British Cycling team. Both of these leaders believed greatness could be achieved if they could get their teams to adopt a 1% change mentality, and it worked! Both reached championship levels, multiple times! This simple concept can help you to make improvements in your professional and personal life.

Every motivated individual, team, and leader looks to achieve greatness, yet very few do. Most set their sights high and think that massive change is necessary to achieve their goal. The problem is they start out with good intentions, then come off track. Most people who set out to achieve a goal fail because they do not remain consistent in the behaviors that can bring them success. You know the type, they vow to lose twenty pounds, work out for an hour a day for the first month, give up carbs and drop some weight. Then they stop working out as much, let a few carbs slip back into the diet, put on a few pounds and give up. Many such dieters gain even more weight back. This rollercoaster effect of short-term progress followed by long-term failure causes disbelief in their ability to achieve their goal. Most people drop the good behaviors because willpower is not enough to sustain the massive effort they believe is required.

The successful person who transforms their body in the long-term says, “I am going to improve 1% in my diet and 1% in my exercise, and do that every day until I lose twenty pounds.” Who can’t improve 1% in their diet? All you would have to do is skip a snack or dessert or eat a slightly smaller portion at one of your meals. Who can’t improve 1% in their exercise routine? All you would have to do is take the stairs instead of the elevator. The intention to improve a mere 1% is believable and sustainable and that is the key to long-term transformation. In effect, it is easier to sustain something when we believe it is easy. If this person could achieve success in a slower but more steady fashion, they are more likely to succeed in the long run.

This all stems from belief and consistency. It is the belief we have that leads to our convictions. Those convictions lead to long-term sustainable behavior change. This consistency, over time, compounds our success.

So, the next time you strive for something big, ask yourself, “Can I improve just 1% in that area?” If you believe you can, vow to improve 1% every day, and not miss a day. If you miss one day, come right back at it and achieve your 1% improvement the next day. In this way, you will be improving at least 50% of the time.

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