1% Growth Rule
Last week I completed 100 days of sweat. Yes… you read right, 100 DAYS BABY!!!
When I started the challenge back on April 15, I was a weeee bit nervous about what I was heading out to do. Could I really stay consistent with 100 days of sweat? Is that possible for the bearded maaaan?
It was the beginning of quarantine and I figured this was a challenge I needed to tackle on head first.
I didn’t know how long we were going to be stuck indoors. I didn’t know how long it would be before I could get back into the gym. All I knew was that I NEEDED to find a way to stay physically fit and keep this dad bod lookin’ GOOD given everything that was happening. I knew committing to the challenge was NOT going to allow me to make any excuses. Bobbbaaaay… it’s time to get to work!
This was a challenge that originated from a group of content creators named Yes Theory. If you’re not familiar with them, their movement is about encouraging people to say YES to the things that push us outside of our comfort zone. Through their message and incredible YouTube content they created a lifestyle brand called Seek Discomfort where *I believe* the 100 days of sweat challenge began. Someone fact check me please.
I remember getting anxious on the first day thinking about how in the world was I going to show up everyday for the next 100 days. Did I actually have the ability to keep showing up? You betcha.
Day 1 turned into Day 10. Day 10 turned into Day 26. Day 26 tuned into Day 50 and before you know it I crossed the finish line on August 13!
I worked out in my kitchen or even in my garage. I started getting back into running to help give me an excuse to be outside. Towards the end of the challenge I even picked up surfing which I quickly fell in LOVE with!
I allowed myself to use the “Two Day Rule” which I had learned from another content creator by the name of Matt D’Avella. The idea is that you can skip every other day of doing something but you CAN’T miss back to back days. I knew inevitably there were going to be moments that I couldn’t fit in a sweat for one reason or another so I allowed myself to apply this rule.
Aside from a visit to the Emergency Room because of an allergic reaction I had back in May to an antibiotic medication I was on which had me in my bed for five days straight, I completed the 100 days of sweat! I never missed two days in a row (aside from the health scare which I gave the green light as an exception) and I was able to complete the challenge.
But how? How does one stay consistent for 100 days?
The trick was not thinking about the BIG picture of completing the task. It was about focusing on what I could do TODAY!
I quickly realized that all I needed to do was make 1% of progress today and then worry about tomorrow when it came. I wasn’t caught up thinking “Oh maaaan, I still have 65 days to go :( “ Noooope, didn’t cross my brain because I became obsessed about the only progress I could make in a given day, 1%.
While I was completing the challenge I quickly began to realize how important this perspective was for every other area of my life.
What would happen if instead of constantly focusing on the BIG picture, I instead focused on the little wins I could make today. I knew that in the short term these small achievements might seem like nothing but in the longterm they would inevitably stack up into something BIG!
This is how I view every area of my life now. Personal, relationships, hobbies, dating, career etc. How can I grow just 1% better per day in every one of those buckets of my life?
When I break the progress down into small portions like that, the target seems less intimidating and much more attainable.
We tend to get frustrated when certain areas of our life aren’t exactly where we expected or wanted them to be. We have to ask ourselves a tough and honest question : have we put in the proper effort to make changes? If yes, we must ask ourselves for how long? We all know this truth… it doesn’t happen overnight.
There is NO such thing as “overnight success” with any area of our life. Once we can accept that, we stop getting frustrated and worked up about the progress and instead start focusing more on the process. The boxes WE CAN check off TODAY!
Incorporating this mindset / perspective into your life won’t just happen with the snap of your fingers. Or maybe it will? *Snap snap* Regardless, it takes time to mold our brains to see progress from this lens.
1% of progress is what I’m shootin’ for on a daily basis. If it worked for me with 100 days of sweat, there’s no doubt in my mind it won’t work for every other goal, dream and achievement I want to check off.
So here’s my challenge for you. Think about one area of your life you’re putting a LOT of time and energy into. It could be anything! Once you have it, think about the 1-3 things you can do TODAY that will help you make just 1% of progress towards that goal.
Keep repeating this day by day and it’s all just a matter of time before you get what you’ve been working towards.
The Bearded Man