Image Source: James Clear/Pareto
This piece is inspired by Vilfredo Pareto and James Clear which explain that If you get one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.
The following daily actions can be done by anybody, and they will produce measurable life upgrades which will pave the way for more success and potentially to Winner Takes All Effect.
Start and end you day without cellphone: You heard me right. When you wake up, enjoy your coffee and breakfast without any cell interruption. In fact, don’t turn on the phone until you are done with breakfast. This will free up time and you will be able to focus on yourself instead of focusing on others. Shut off your cell before dinner time as well and be present. Focus on cooking a good meal and use this precious time selfishly for yourself. Your sleep will improve as you stop bringing to bed with you unnecessary thoughts and noise. When I go to bed instead of checking social media now, I read for 20 minutes and before shutting my eyes I think of the great things that happened to me on that day. This helps me sleep better and deeper.
Don’t complain about anything. Refrain from complaining, whether at work or in your personal life. Resist getting entangled in pointless conflicts, remembering that a conflict is not a conflict unless you participate in it. Even if you are right, accept the situation, take responsibility, apologize, and move on to the next task. This approach builds mental fitness, rewarding your mind for problem-solving and strengthening connections with others. While it may be easier with colleagues, applying this principle to family members or significant others, where emotions are heightened, can be challenging. Remember, few fights are worth engaging in, and, as Warren Buffett advises, “when you want to send someone to hell…wait until tomorrow.
Avoid bad at all costs. Avoiding negative thoughts and people, no matter what as this is more important that generating good outcomes. When you get a negative thought, say out lout “not useful” as if you were talking to your brain as this will help build a hobbit or not going into the obscure negative part of our thoughts. When someone is being negative, disrespectful or a bully call this person out, no matter who it is. This will also help you build self-confidence as you will get used to step outside of your comfort zone. People will respect you and take notice.
Exercise every day for 30 minutes. Get a workout routine no matter what that is. I run, lift and do abs. I go to the gym as being around people motivates me. I use a calory metric to monitor my daily progress. I start with the treadmill and get 100 calories burned more every day as this is my way of pushing that 1% stronger every day. I finish my practice with 20 minutes sauna as that helps me stretch and relax. Stretching in heat is a lot easier.
Continue doing what already works: I for instance take full control of nutrition, ensuring we eat lots of greens, good fats, and unprocessed dishes. I cook every day for my family, this saves me money, gives me full control of what goes into my body, and allows me to enjoy the spiritual experience of cooking while drinking a glass of wine.
Conclusion. Patience and persistence are key on this journey towards self-improvement. Progress often hides behind boring solutions and unappreciated intuitions. “The people that can do the right things every day, more consistently are more likely to maintain a slight edge and accumulate disproportionate rewards over time. The 1 Percent Rule states that over time the majority of the rewards in a given field will accumulate to the people, teams, and organizations that maintain a 1 percent advantage over the alternatives” (James Clear).