THE ‘PLUS ONE MINUTE’ IMPROVEMENT PLAN
I was watching this video this evening:
It reminded me that reaching goals doesn’t have to be
hard.
Get 1% Better Every Day: The pleasant
Way to Self-Improvement
Instead of trying to make radical changes in a short
amount of time, just make small improvements every day that will gradually lead
to the change you want. Just like compound interest, you start with a small
amount yet you end up with riches by taking what you’ve saved plus interest.
Repeat...
So, each day, just focus on getting 1% better in
whatever it is you’re trying to improve. That’s it. Just 1%.
If you want to learn to play an instrument, practice
10 minutes. The next day, you practice 10 minutes plus 10x1%= 11 minutes.
You want to improve your core strength by doing planks
for a certain time, say 10 seconds.
The next day, you do your plank for 11 seconds. The third day, 11x1%. It
won’t exhaust or frustrate you but you will get stronger daily.
“When you improve a little each day, eventually big
things occur. When you improve conditioning a little each day, eventually you
have a big improvement in conditioning. Not tomorrow, not the next day, but
eventually a big gain is made. Don’t look for the big, quick improvement. Seek
the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens — and
when it happens, it lasts.” —John Wooden
- Want to start the exercise habit? Just do a single push-up as soon
as you roll out of bed in the morning. The next morning, add another. And
so on and so forth. In two months, you’ll be doing 60 push-ups in the
morning. Or run in place for 10 seconds. Add one second each day.
- Want to
establish a morning and evening routine? Start with the
evening, and concentrate on the 10 minutes right before you go to bed.
Plan what you’ll do during those 10 minutes — it might be meditative
breathing for one minute, brushing your teeth, then stretching, and
reading for 7 — and make it a habit. Every day, add 5 more intentional
minutes until your whole evening becomes a satisfying routine. Boom! You
have a great evening ritual. Then work on the morning.
- Want to
start writing? Instead of making it a goal to write a page each
day, just start off with writing for a minute. That’s all. You might only
get a sentence or two down, but that’s okay. The next day, add a minute.
In a month, you’ll be writing for 30 minutes.
- Want to
start meditating? Begin with a minute of breathing exercises. Or
being quiet and still for one minute. Or start with 10 seconds and add 1%
each day.
- Want to lose weight? Cut out one fast food meal. Or a sugary soda. Or
cut your usual dinner portion in half.
- Want to have a neater house? Declutter one small surface or shelf. Clean out one drawer. Day by day, you'll get closer to your goal.
Avoid the
temptation to get impatient and start rushing forward and taking bigger leaps.
Take it slow, steady, and consistent.
Simply try to do
a little bit better than you did the day before.
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