Today I got a bit closer to the person I want to be…
Five minutes closer to be precise!
James Clear in his mega hit book Atomic Habits talks about how consistent tiny steps are the way to achieve our goals. By aiming to get just 1% better each day, and by prioritising consistency over intensity, we can create a sustainable path towards our desired future.
Small positive actions might not be sexy and they don’t make the headlines (as Clear highlights, you rarely see a newspaper front page with the header: “Man eats chicken salad for lunch”!) but as they build, they can help you make radical changes over time.
I’ve seen this with the people I’ve helped making career transitions. A big change can feel overwhelming, but when you break it down into little daily steps, and only look as far as the next thing you need to do, you can forge a manageable path to where you want to get to (and might even enjoy the journey!)
Ask yourself, are my daily habits taking me on a trajectory towards the person I want to be? Or are you spending too much time on tasks that may feel important in and of themselves, but are not contributing to the bigger picture of where you want to be heading?
The few extra lengths I did today in the pool might not seem like much, but I know they are taking me closer to the strong and healthy person I dream of being.
“Every action you take is a vote for the kind of person you wish to become”
(James Clear, Atomic Habits)
How can you get 1% closer to that peron today?