If we can manage to be 1% better every day then over the course of a year, we can be 37% better in the area that we are working to improve. This was an AHA moment for me in 2021 when I heard it in a talk at church. I had to research more to find the exact quote:
“I like to refer to habits as the compound interest of self-improvement, and the reason why I like that phrase is that, the same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them over time…[If you can get just one percent better each day, so .01365, you end up 37 times better by the time you get to the end of the year.”James Clear: One Percent Better
This struck a chord with me, so I want to share in hopes that it will help others and cement things even more for me in 2022.
I learned about compound interest in college. The earlier you start investing, the more that it will payoff later in life for you. I was amazed at how much compound interest added up with even the smallest investment. When I heard about being 1% better, and it being like an investment in yourself, I knew that I could do it. 1% is small, but with compounding interest, the payoff can be huge. Since the investment is in you, it is even more motivating.
I can be 1% better everyday. My 1% is based on where I am now. You need to make realistic (small) goals that are concrete and measurable to fuel success. I wanted to work on being better about cleaning. My life is BUSY with a large family, homeschooling, virtual schooling, trying to fit in exercise, my business, meals, transportation to and from activities, etc. It adds up really fast, and there are literally only 24 hours in a day.
real life laundry happens
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if you don't stay on top of it, it falls apart-fast
more candid images from our "real life" 
Life is a balancing act and sometimes things fall by the wayside. Cleaning my house falls apart more often than I would like to admit, and more often than I am comfortable with. A lot of times, it gets pushed to the weekend. I want to change that, and I started trying to make 1% improvements in this area last year (since it is officially 2022 now). I am not a 100% cleaner, so 1% doesn't have to be a lot in order for me to achieve 1%.
I decided that I can spend a few minutes cleaning, and that would be an easy, measurable goal that could equate to 1% more for me. It all adds up. Getting in the habit of looking for ways to check off my 1% goal for the day has often resulted in me doing more cleaning than I had originally wanted or planned to do. It is getting easier, and I plan on continuing this into 2022.
surprise mini-cleanup at my in-law's house
before  | after |
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There is always room for improvement. We can always progress. We are multi-faceted beings and working on one part of yourself will improve your whole self.
Your 1% today will not be your 1% 6 months from now because you will have grown and progressed. What are the 1% efforts that you can to do grow your investment in yourself? That is what I am working on for 2022. I hope it helps you too.
Thanks for another good prompt for the weekend engagement @galenkp. Thanks for making me think and put those thoughts down on "paper."