Becoming 1% Better

Think of someone you admire and aspire to be like. What is it about them that inspires you? Is it their work ethic? Dedication? Whatever it is that inspires you about them, recognize that their success didn’t happen overnight. They didn’t reach their goals by stumbling into a magic, secret trick that instantly helped them. The unpopular truth is that no one is an overnight success, and everyone has to put in the work. These role models you have didn’t succeed and reach their goals by making one giant move that changed their life, but instead, they made a series of small, consistent moves over time.

The best strategy I have seen and experienced for achieving your dreams is to not focus on the big end goal, but focusing on becoming 1% better every day. You need to live a life that is consistent with what you want to achieve, and you need to be dedicated to achieving it. You don’t need to be the most talented person, but you need to do is work hard all day to establish a sustainable lifestyle change.

What I mean is this: you don’t need to be 100% “on” all the time (no one can physically or mentally do that and balance is something we should strive for). But, if you want to be the best team member, coworkers, friend and human that you can be, you need to live a life that is lining up with your goals.

Making small, 1% changes every day will do this. It may not seem like much, especially in the beginning, but over time these small, sustainable changes will amplify. The minor changes will become habits and these habits will become a part of your lifestyle. Aim to do something small every day that builds on to what you were doing yesterday.

What do you believe is the number 1 thing holding you back? Is it your eating habits? Negativity? Being too busy for exercise?

If you want to be more positive and happy….

1. Practice Gratitude

Each day take 1 minute to reflect and name something thing you are grateful for or recognize what someone else had down to help you today. Expressing gratitude allows you to recognize the great parts of your day and helps you appreciate them more. The next week name 2 things per day you are grateful for or write down your daily gratitude’s and feel yourself become happier and healthier.

2. Engage and Invest in Relationships

We are constantly connected and distracted by our phones. Once per week, try putting the phone away for 30 minutes (or even turn it off) to spend time with your spouse, kids or friends and choose to be fully present in the moment. Without your phone, you will be less distracted from your own happiness and you will enjoy life more. Every week, try turning off or leaving your phone alone for an extra 5 minutes. You will feel happier and your relationships will flourish.

If you want to improve your nutrition….

1. Hydration

Experts recommend drinking 0.5oz – 1.0oz of water per pound of body weight. That calculation may seem overwhelming so start small. Aim to drink 1 bottle of water before 1 pm, drink a second bottle anytime before you go to bed. Then next week aim for 3 bottles per day and each following week add another bottle until you reach your recommended water intake.

Learn more about the importance of water here: http://t-lane.ca/top-4-fat-burning-strategies/

2. Eat Vegetables

Start by eating 1 serving of vegetables, once per day. Five to seven days later, aim to eat 2 servings of vegetables per day. Continue in this pattern until you are eating at least 1 serving of vegetables with each meal and snack.

Learn more about the importance of vegetables here: https://goo.gl/ViLfQ8

If you want to improve your physical health…

1. Sleep 7 – 9 hours.

Start by establishing a routine – going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. Then, aim to increase your sleep time until you are getting 7 – 9 hours. If you currently sleep 6 hours, add an extra 10 minutes every night this week by going to bed a little earlier. Next week, add another 10 minutes to each night.

2. Engage in purposeful exercise

If you don’t currently exercise, start by walking for 5 minutes each day. Next week increase your walking time to 10 minutes per day. The following week, aim for two 10-minute walks. Try heading to the gym at lunch or aim to get up from your desk to stretch at least once per day. Your brain functions better when your body moves and blood flows. You’ll feel more alert, productive, and you may even be nicer to those around you since simple movements can improve our mood.

Find workout inspiration here: https://goo.gl/W8r1F7