#11: one percent better
What’s on my mind
Don’t let the need for small immediate wins distract you from your long-term vision.
“Our overnight success took 1,000 days!”
There is no overnight success.
And if there is one, it’s not going to last.
Celebrate small, incremental wins.
Get 1% better everyday.
It compounds.
And puts you at a much higher place in a year than 1% worse would.
This week’s stories
🤔 Goals are overrated
When setting goals, we often fall into the trap of biting more than we can chew:
I haven’t worked out for the last 2 years. From tomorrow, I’m going to exercise for at least 1 hour, 5 times a week.
It’s not going to work. It might, for a week or two, but it’s not sustainable.
Setting goals may be more exciting. But goals are less likely to stick than habits.
Habits, on the other hand are repetitive and boring, but more sustainable:
I haven’t worked out for the last 2 years. From tomorrow, I’m going to spend 10 minutes lifting some weights.
Once this habit is established, take it a level higher.
But not too high.
{19-min read}
📚 The 12-week year
Create a sense of urgency for your goals.
What if, instead of setting yearly goals, you focused on dividing the year into 12-week parts to achieve those goals?
What if, you set shorter deadlines?
✍️ Journaling in Day One
I have been using the Day One app to capture my thoughts and feelings since 2012 (on and off).
I was averaging at around 40 entries a year.
Not awful, but there were certain days that deserved to be captured, had I not been a sloth!
There are feelings that I wish I’d written about. To help me realize how I thought back then. And how that’s changed now.
I had to do something to get into this habit. I know it was going to be worth it.
Over the last 11 days, I’ve managed to consistently capture all or part of my days.
It started with making a small promise: at minimum, upload a snapshot from that day.
It could be a meal. Or a catch-up with a friend.
Before I knew it, I was adding multiple entries for each day.
I eased myself into it. And it seems to be working.
Special thanks to Day One’s Streak 🔥 feature. It works to keep you motivated.
👓 One thing at a time
Do the most important thing first.
Avoid multitasking.
Do less things more efficiently, rather than more things with side effects.
{3-min read}
🌱 How to be great? Just be good, repeatably
Repeatable good is so much better than inconsistent great.
The best things in life often aren’t miracles, but well-thought out approaches that are sustainable.
{15-min read}
Final Thought
