A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. We often forget to apply this common knowledge in our daily lives. We generally think that we need to make Earth shattering improvements to achieve success.

Let’s look at something as simple as fat loss. Most of us want to be a leaner and fitter version of ourselves. So, what do we do—- look for a fancy (read restrictive) diet coupled with endless sessions of cardio exercises and of course tremendous will power to follow through. Some of us are able to achieve those goals but, only partially as the method to reach the goal is not sustainable and so we are back to square one or maybe even worse— by gaining more than we lost.

Everybody is looking for a magic wand that would help them knock-off those extra pounds, be able to buy that dream car, an impressive house or start their own unicorn. That list can be endless and the search for the elusive holy grail confusing and overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be as that magic is simply put, the aggregation of marginal gains or the power of 1%. We make the mistake of overestimating the importance of one defining moment like the rabbit while underestimating the value of making small improvements consistently like the tortoise.

We generally go in for the all or nothing approach, setting up ourselves for failure. We do not realise the significance of consistency & strategy that triumphs over will power. We set up goals which may seem desperately far away. Instead, what we should be doing is having smaller achievable goals focusing on one day or one step at a time. Planning ahead will help us to be clear about our goals, to navigate the obstacles better, be prepared for whatever can go wrong and be ready with alternatives/solutions to minimise losses. Moving with a plan helps us to be realistic about our capabilities, resources at hand, and how these align with our goals. We should know when to put the pedal to the metal and when to let go.

The change of 1% may or may not be so visible or obvious in the beginning. However, over a period of time, will have a significant impact. The compounding effect of a 1% increase in sales or profits can lead to significant improvements over time. Small improvements applied to every aspect of a company’s operations, from the marketing and sale processes to the costumer service, product development and supply chain management can achieve a considerable improvement in its overall performance.

“If you get 1% better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1% worse each day for a year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero. What starts as a small win or a minor setback accumulates into something much more.” – James Clear

The power of 1% is a powerful concept that can be applied to many areas of life. The power of small habits lies in their abilities to compound overtime. By starting small and being consistent, one can build positive habits that can help one achieve your one’s goals and improve their life in meaningful ways.