When it comes to money, you probably understand the concept of compound interest.
Unfortunately there isn’t a whole lot of talk about compound interest in the rest of your life. But it’s always there.
Just like money grows with small, consistent investments, the same principle applies to habits, mindset, and progress.
Every choice you make today moves you either closer to your goal or further away.
The problem for most of us is we have been conditioned by dramatic before and after photos, and we want to see progress instantly.
Small, manageable, 1% improvements don’t seem to matter much in the moment, but over time, they compound.
Here’s how it works:
A 1% improvement each day might seem tiny, but it adds up. In fact, if you improve by just 1% every day for a year, you’ll be 37 times better by the end.
Let’s look at some real-world examples:
🏃♀️ Walking More: Start with a 10-minute walk. Increase by 1% daily. In a year, you’ll be walking nearly 38 minutes a day—more than triple where you started.
📖 Reading More: Start with just 1 page a day. Increase by 1% daily. By the end of the year, you’ll be reading nearly 38 pages a day!
💰 Saving Money: Start with saving $1 a day. Increase by 1% daily. By the end of the year, you’ll have saved over $3,800—just from starting with a single dollar.
🧘♀️ Stretching: Start with just 1 minute of stretching a day. Increase by 1% daily. In a year, you’ll be stretching for nearly 40 minutes a day and able to handle a whole yoga class with no problems.
💻 Reducing Screen Time: Start by cutting 1 minute of screen time a day. Reduce by 1% daily. A year from now, you’ll have reclaimed over 4.5 hours a week.
That’s the power of the compound effect.
And the opposite is true, too.
A 1% decline every day – skipping your walk, spending a little extra, eating a little more, scrolling Facebook for a few more minutes… a year from now you’ll be 37 times weaker, broker, heavier, and more exhausted than you are right now.
You don’t need to make a big, dramatic change today.
Just move 1% in the right direction. Then do that again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day.
You can handle leveling up by 1%.
So what’s your 1% improvement today?
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