One Percent Better

The new year often brings with it a desire to make changes and improve. Whether our goals are physical, intellectual, financial, or emotional, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to think about all the ways we want to become better.

This year, take a lesson from the British cycling team. After a century of poor performance and countless failures, Sir Dave Brailsford took over the program in 2003, with a revolutionary idea. Rather than focusing on overhauling the entire training regiment, he decided to focus on just making small improvements in many areas. He referred to the strategy as “the aggregation of marginal gains,” meaning that many small improvements over time can yield big results. By striving to consistently become just 1% better, the team began to see gradual improvements in all areas of their training and started to win competitions. This has led to the British cycling team becoming a dominant force in the world of cycling today.

In setting personal goals, identify areas where you can improve and make plans to become just 1% better. Do this consistently and you will begin to develop new skills and habits, which will help your goals become more attainable.

-Chelsea Prince