Small and Simple Things

Episode 25: By Small and Simple Things

Today I want to talk to you about this concept, found in the scriptures, that by small and simple things, great things are brought to pass. This concept is found in many verses but my favorite reference is found in Alma in the Book of Mormon (Alma 37:6).

Sometimes we think we have to be do big amazing things in order to see results.

Many women, when they want to release weight or stop emotional eating, will do these great big overhauls to their diet/lifestyle.

There’s this thrill we get when we think about starting a new healthy eating program. Or a program that’s going to get us in shape. The promised outcome feels exciting and we dive in head first.

But what ends up happening is that it’s not sustainable.

We burn out.

Our willpower only lasts for so long, and we don’t know any other tools besides diet and exercise to use.

So today I want to share with you one of these tools, The 1% Rule.

Basically what this tool consists of is making small simple changes 1% at a time.

Each day all you need to do is to be 1% better than you were the day before- that’s it!

A few years ago, there was a talk by religious leader Dieter F. Uchtdorf who shared a story about a passenger jet that left New Zealand for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica and back.

Unknown to the pilots, someone had modified the flight coordinates by a mere two degrees. This error left the plane 28 miles to the east of where the pilots assumed they were.

This story does not have a happy ending, but my point in sharing this story with you is that just a two small degrees can have a huge impact.

Today I want to focus on the impact small and simple changes can make.

The impact 1% can make.

1 tiny percent doesn’t seem like much, but if done consistently it adds up to something huge!

By small and simple things, like being 1 tiny percent better, are great things brought to pass.

One of my favorite books is The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. In his book he shares the benefits of the compound effect.

Basically the Compound Effect is the same as the 1% rule.

He explains it like this:

“The Compound effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small smart choices. What’ s most interesting about this process to me is that, even though the results are massive, the steps in the moment don’t feel significant.”

These small and simple things don’t feel hard. Y

And therefore you won’t burn out and lose willpower attempting to do them, yet they’re creating huge rewards!

He gives this fascinating example in the book:

If you were givne the choice of taking $3 million in cash this very instant or a single penny that doubles in value every day for 31 days (that’s just a month), which would you choose?

Most would say the $3 million cold hard cash!

But if you went with the penny option, by day 5 you’d have 16 cents, day 10 $5.12, after 20 full days (which means you have 11 days left) you’d have $5,243.

Still glad you went with the $3 million?

But this is where the magic of the 1% rule starts to become visible. The small mathematical growth improvement each day makes on day 31 the compounded penny worth – are you ready for this?

$10,737,418.24

More than 3 times the $3 million!

This is the power of the 1% rule.

Each day as you try to improve your habits by just 1%, it compounds and by the end of 31 days, you’ve got some huge results!

Here is an example of what some of these 1% changes might look like:

1% more water,

1% more sleep

1% less processed foods

1% less sugar

1% more movement added to your day,

1% less bites,

1% slowing down when you eat,

1% more vegetable servings

1% more healthy fat added to your diet

1% more time spent meditating

1% more time journaling

1% less snacking

. . . . .the possibilities are endless.

Each day, be careful not to default back to your starting spot. Start with your yesterday’s 1% and go another 1% today.

This is where the magic happens.

1% is so tiny, you won’t even really noticing it. It doesn’t take much willpower to change 1% but as you saw with the penny example, such a small and simple thing equals out to have huge results over time!

GOOD NEWS:

The 1% rule can be used to improve any area of your life, whether you’re using this strategy for improving your health, your relationships, your finances, or anything else for that matter.

But be warned, the changes are so subtle they’re almost imperceptible. If you have a habit of quitting on yourself because you’re not seeing results as quickly as you’d like, you’ll be tempted to do so again.

We have to be patient with the process.

We can’t be committed to the process only if we see results in X amount of time.

We have to be committed to the process period.

We have to be so committed that we keep going and we stick with it no matter how long it takes.

Stop quitting on yourself.

Commit right now to keep doing 1% better each day for however long it takes.

As long as you’re trying, you can’t fail! Eventually you will succeed!

So, my challenge to you this week is to experiment with the 1% rule. What can you change just 1% a day that will get you closer to your goal?

I’d love to hear what you’re doing. Please share on your social media and don’t forget to tag me @ajoyfulyou so I can see! Alright, can’t wait. Go get em’.

If you would like extra help with the 1% rule, emotional eating, or losing weight, sign up for the Joyful Body Breakthrough before all the spots are gone!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS