What does it mean to improve every day by 1%?

By keeping our sights on long-term improvement, or "continuous growth," we are less likely to let temporary setbacks derail our progress.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear explains the concept of getting 1% better every day. This concept states that making small, incremental improvements to our habits can have a significant, cumulative effect over time.

The idea is that by taking small, consistent steps each day, we can gradually move towards our goals and achieve more than we thought was possible.

The idea of getting 1% better is based on compound growth. Compound growth means making small investments over time and reaping the benefits in the long run.

Clear explains that “The goal is not to be perfect. It’s to get a little bit better each day.”

This concept is often used in finance, where small investments made over a period of time can yield tremendous returns. Similarly, the “1% better” concept is about taking small steps towards our goals and allowing them to compound over time.

According to Clear, making minor daily improvements can significantly change our lives. If we commit to increasing our reading by 10 pages per day, we will have read 3,650 more at the end of the year. Also, if we run a mile every day, we'll have completed 365 miles by December 31. An effective strategy is to focus on making steady, manageable progress toward a goal.

The 1% improvement strategy can help us break through when we feel stuck or overwhelmed.

Instead of striving to make giant leaps forward all at once, we can begin with manageable baby steps. Consistent daily progress of just 1% ensures that our efforts will bear fruit and that we will keep making progress.

The 1% improvement method is universally applicable. The 1% improvement paradigm can be used to make significant changes in many areas of life, such as health, success, and productivity.

We can reach our long-term objectives if we commit to daily incremental improvements.

More resources: https://jamesclear.com/continuous-improvement