Improvement is the only way to get what you want in life. Whether it's better grades in school, a better job, or just more money in your bank account, if you're not improving, then things will never change for you. The problem is that improvement takes time and work, so we often give up on improving before we see any results because of how long it can take. However, there's an easy trick to ensure that doesn't happen: 1% a day!

Do 1% every day

We all have goals in life. We want to reach that pinnacle of success and recognition and soar high above everyone else. We create goals like wanting to be a successful businessman, getting a job that gives a six-figure salary per year, buying an expensive sports car or a dream house, becoming a famous YouTuber or social media star, etc. Sometimes, we don't realize that we set up a massive goal in front of us. Add the fact that a lot of people want to rush things and get that goal immediately. We then start to lose focus and get disillusioned with our plans, giving up. You lost the fiery ambition. The idea of 1% a day can significantly help in situations like these.

The idea of doing 1% a day is simple and effective. You have a big goal; think of this goal as 100%. Instead of tackling that big goal head-on, you accomplish it in increments, basically 1% a day. By doing things 1% a day, you continuously improve what you are doing, which eventually leads to you fulfilling the 100% threshold of your goal. If you want to do this massive thing in front of you right away, chances are you can get overwhelmed and not take any action because you think the task is too big in scope, and you might not know where to start or what to do exactly to get that goal. By breaking down your goal into tiny bits and doing something every day to meet your goal, your mind starts to get conditioned that you are achieving success little by little. This process leads to a compounding effect where the little achievements build up until you reach 100% of your goal.

The concept of Kaizen

This idea of doing 1% a day for self-improvement traces back to the concept of Kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese word that stands for "improvement." It is primarily used in the business setting to continuously improve functions and processes to eliminate redundancies and waste. As a result, all standardized programs and processes are continually enhanced and involve all company employees, including the CEO.

The concept started with the Americans back during World War II. Back then, there wasn't much time and resources available for implementing significant and radical changes in the production of war equipment, especially weapons. So what the Americans did instead is to have organizations implement minor improvements to already-existing processes and systems. This same concept is what they eventually introduced to the Japanese after the war had ended.

Kaizen in everyday life

Kaizen is a concept primarily used in business, but this concept can apply in many areas of our lives. The following are some examples to help illustrate this point.

In the school setting, as a student, you can try reading and studying some pages per day on a book of a particular subject, even if your teacher did not tell you to do so. This way, you wouldn't cram studying come exam time because you gradually understand things over time, resulting in better grades, which is excellent if getting high grades was your goal.

If you have an enormous debt, instead of trying to pay the debt in one go, you could try paying it every time the due date happens per month or week and then add a little bit of extra payment every time. You could also try saving some money every day so that your savings will accumulate and you will eventually be able to pay the debt in the long run.

If your goal is to become rich, you can start by saving some money every day. Your savings will then begin to grow, and you can then invest later in something that gains interest, so your savings will grow eventually more significantly. You could also try cutting off unnecessary expenses one at a time. Then, over time, you could start doing some side gigs that will give additional income, invest in stocks, or do some small business venture. All of these will eventually build up your cash reserves, and one day, you will see your savings grow to a large amount.

Losing weight and being fit is an excellent example of illustrating the point of doing 1% a day. You can't instantly become slim and fit in just a day or two. It takes time and discipline. You go on a diet every day and complement it with exercise. In the beginning, you might be able to do only a few push-ups, but you can gradually increase the count by one per day. The same thing happens with other forms of exercises you decide to do.

If your goal is to write a book, instead of thinking about having to write several hundreds of pages, focus on writing a few pages a day. You can even try registering just one page a day until you can finish the book. Unless there is a tight deadline, then you can try doing one page a day.

Continuous improvement and better every day

Doing 1% a day is a good habit to incorporate into our daily lives. Always remember the main ideas behind this concept. First, do not overthink about the colossal task or goal in your mind. Be focused instead on what you can do every day and accomplish something bit by bit. As long as you get something done every day and you are consistent in doing it, you will slowly make progress and achieve your goal down the line.

If you are having problems taking action or starting whatever you want to do, you can try getting the help of a life coach. He can help you get motivated and guide you along the way in achieving your goal. Also, take note that once you have met your destination, the process of doing 1% a day doesn't end there. It is a system of continuous improvement to get better each day.

Some might think that doing a small number of things every day seems insignificant, but this is several times better than trying to do it all in one go and then ending up in failure. Doing everything in one shot could lead to more stress and problems, and you decide to give up on your goal. Any big plan will take a significant amount of time to accomplish. As long as deadlines are not in the way, doing things 1% a day will help us learn and improve our personal growth. Do not rush and take action one thing at a time, and it can make a difference.