This is great. Since I read Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, I'd add one thing to this: celebration. Just straight up telling yourself you did a job and letting yourself feel good. The more instantaneous the link between beginning the behavior and the celebration, the better, even if it can be helpful even a while after you do something. I started to practice this a few months ago, I've gotten good at tuning into the feeling on demand, developed some of my own unique celebrations, and the behaviors I celebrate seem to be the ones that grow faster and remain consistent. You can even use it to kind of shape behaviors and build skills within a habit, or more general things like pushing through discomfort. I've started to celebrate the feeling that I want to stop doing something, because that feeling is an indicator of growth - although I'm not too ambitious about pushing and pushing, I just want to consistently go a bit past the edge. Since I read about it in the book and began to practice it, I see it missing in many other writings about tiny habits or gains, like this piece.
Good stuff. I did the math ... he's right! Just 1 percent each day. If I improve 1 percent of what I am today, each day, after a year, that's 365 percent, or over 3 times what I am today. If I improve 1 percent today, so that tomorrow I'm 1 percent improved, and improve on that 1 percent, and so on ... then, yeah ... YEAH! ... at a year I'll be 3700 percent ... 37, almost 38 times what I am today. Here's the catch. One percent is so small, that it's easy to discount, ignore. It's so close to zero that we think we can get to (or stay at) the same place, whether or not we do it. On the other hand, one percent is so EASY ... WHY NOT! We think changes come in big chunks, and sometimes they do. And negative change can also happen in big chunks. Small, continuous changes, may indeed be more lasting. I've got some changes I'm thinking of. I'M GONNA START TOMORROW, AND KEEP GOING!
I remember one of my teachers back in school saying: “If you want to truly learn something, you have to do it in tiny steps.” She compared it to filling a glass with tap water, when you turn the tap on full blast, the water splashes everywhere and the glass doesn’t fill properly. But when the pressure is low, the glass fills slowly, steadily, and completely.
She never called it Kaizen, but that simple metaphor stayed with me all these years.
As a lean six sigma practitioner I have leverage Kaizen of course in my work, but it has a greatly influenced my personal endeavors as well. It helps when you are going through the daily grind. You remember, you are making progress bit by bit, even if it feels slow. The key is to remember Kaizen - you are constantly improving.
Good morning ☀️ Thank you for sharing ✌️ God is good 🙏
Philippians 4:6-7 GNT
[6] Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. [7] And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
I just wrote about this in one of my past newsletters. Less truly is more. Quality work adds up in the long run, much more than weak, pointless actions done for spite, not intention.
This is great. Since I read Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, I'd add one thing to this: celebration. Just straight up telling yourself you did a job and letting yourself feel good. The more instantaneous the link between beginning the behavior and the celebration, the better, even if it can be helpful even a while after you do something. I started to practice this a few months ago, I've gotten good at tuning into the feeling on demand, developed some of my own unique celebrations, and the behaviors I celebrate seem to be the ones that grow faster and remain consistent. You can even use it to kind of shape behaviors and build skills within a habit, or more general things like pushing through discomfort. I've started to celebrate the feeling that I want to stop doing something, because that feeling is an indicator of growth - although I'm not too ambitious about pushing and pushing, I just want to consistently go a bit past the edge. Since I read about it in the book and began to practice it, I see it missing in many other writings about tiny habits or gains, like this piece.
How about you get in the habit of using paragraphs?
I never thought of doing this. I now understand what they meant by celebrating the small wins.
I always thought it was to reward ourselves, but no, it can also just be a simple "let's goo, another workout done."
Good stuff. I did the math ... he's right! Just 1 percent each day. If I improve 1 percent of what I am today, each day, after a year, that's 365 percent, or over 3 times what I am today. If I improve 1 percent today, so that tomorrow I'm 1 percent improved, and improve on that 1 percent, and so on ... then, yeah ... YEAH! ... at a year I'll be 3700 percent ... 37, almost 38 times what I am today. Here's the catch. One percent is so small, that it's easy to discount, ignore. It's so close to zero that we think we can get to (or stay at) the same place, whether or not we do it. On the other hand, one percent is so EASY ... WHY NOT! We think changes come in big chunks, and sometimes they do. And negative change can also happen in big chunks. Small, continuous changes, may indeed be more lasting. I've got some changes I'm thinking of. I'M GONNA START TOMORROW, AND KEEP GOING!
I remember one of my teachers back in school saying: “If you want to truly learn something, you have to do it in tiny steps.” She compared it to filling a glass with tap water, when you turn the tap on full blast, the water splashes everywhere and the glass doesn’t fill properly. But when the pressure is low, the glass fills slowly, steadily, and completely.
She never called it Kaizen, but that simple metaphor stayed with me all these years.
As a lean six sigma practitioner I have leverage Kaizen of course in my work, but it has a greatly influenced my personal endeavors as well. It helps when you are going through the daily grind. You remember, you are making progress bit by bit, even if it feels slow. The key is to remember Kaizen - you are constantly improving.
Doing this!!!
Thank you friend 🫶🏼I appreciate you
Good morning ☀️ Thank you for sharing ✌️ God is good 🙏
Philippians 4:6-7 GNT
[6] Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. [7] And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
https://bible.com/bible/68/php.4.6-7.GNT
That actually a great one ❤️
Thank you!
I just wrote about this in one of my past newsletters. Less truly is more. Quality work adds up in the long run, much more than weak, pointless actions done for spite, not intention.
Love this! Great advice!
This is great. Thank you. Just what I needed to hear. Step by step (even if little one’s) truly add up.
you literally changed my life. Thank you 🥹🙏🏻
Your comment made my day 😁
1% improvement
Truly helpful post! My mom always says - something is better than nothing. Now I understand what she meant.
Great article, tiny actions can compound! No wonder people say compounding is the 8th wonder of the world