The Ten Percent Advantage: How to Make Progress Every Day

I'm not advocating for you to lower your bar. The problem is not setting audacious goals per se, but using the wrong approach.

Rather than worrying about the end result, focus on how to make daily progress. Success is a byproduct of self-discipline - it requires a method, not just a positive attitude.

However, self-control is an exhaustible resource as Chip Heath, and Dan Heath wrote in .

The authors explain that, by pushing ourselves too hard, we exhaust the mental muscles needed to think creatively, to stay focused, to avoid temptations, and to persist in the face of frustration or failure. We are draining the mental muscles to make a significant change.

People make change harder because they wear themselves out. "What looks like laziness is often exhaustion." - the authors reveal.

You might be killing your chances to succeed without knowing. Too much effort can kill your drive minimizing the prospects of accomplishing the change you want.

The ' change gap ' paralyzes most people and organizations.

The tension between the 'current state' and 'desired state' creates anxiety and fear. Most people feel paralyzed - they focus on 'the gap' (how much they need to accomplish) versus on moving forward.

The Ten Percent Advantage is a change approach recommended by Sakyong Mipham .

If you aim for small gains, you won't exhaust yourself. Making continuous progress will generate momentum; thus, building confidence and helping you focus on the ongoing success rather than on the 'change gap.'

As Mipham says: "For 10% of my mind, I can do that. And bit by bit, if we do that 10%, that little bit, it gives us an advantage on the day. At least 10% of our mind and our life is moving forward."

What is the 10% change that is going to move your life forward?

When you wake up in the morning, identify what you want to improve - determine what's the 10% change you want to generate to move your life forward.

Mipham encourages us to approach change with a sense of humor. "Well, 10%, you know I can handle that. Let the other 90% be upset and irritated. But your 10% is okay."

Building new habits or letting go of old ones, is never easy. Trying to quit smoking overnight is usually an ineffective approach. Reducing the number of puffs per cigarette or the amount you light by 10% (on a daily o weekly basis) makes the goal more attainable.

Aiming for less is also a humbling act. You acknowledge you can't change everything at once. Instead of trying to become perfect you focus on perfecting yourself, ten percent at-a-time.

Sports trainers and coaches apply a similar method. The 10% percent rule helps people improve physical performance without risking injury.

This approach works for both novice and hardcore athletes. It allows them get the most out of training sessions while reducing the risk of injury by setting a weekly increase limit. The guideline is to increase no more than 10 percent per week in whatever aspect you are trying to improve - distance, intensity, weight or length.

For example, if you are running 20 miles per week and want to go for more, just add more 2 miles next week to your total.

When it comes to training your mind or body, there's a clear case to aim for progression -it improves your performance without killing yourself.

"Life is hard. But we find joy in making the effort, in choosing to do something, in action."

Incrementalism drives momentum, thus helping build achievement.

Momentum is the force that something has when it is moving. It's the strength that allows you to keep going - it grows stronger and faster with time.

Momentum is not just gaining speed; it's when your preparation starts to make sense - your effort becomes visible in the form of achievements. Momentum is a rewarding and joyful feeling.

Akilnathan Logeswaran said: "The beauty of the unexpected lies within the surprise of the momentum, not only at its tipping point but also within all the moments waiting."

Sports science uses the term Psychological Momentum to define, not just the energy, but also the emotional change in cognition, affect, physiology, and behavior caused by an event that modifies the perceptions of the competitors, performance, and the outcome.

The Multidimensional Model of Momentum in Sports , created by Jim Taylor and Andrew Demick, includes six key elements to build a momentum chain .

Aprecipitating event, like a goalie stopping a penalty kick in a football (soccer) match, reshapes players perception of the possible outcome. This event triggers an emotional reaction that renews optimism and trust.

This vibrant mindset translates into a 'change in performance' that becomes visible to both players and external observers. In sports, momentum is fluid, not fixed, though - it can quickly shift from one team to another. Self-control, once again, is critical to maintaining calmness and focus.

The ten percent advantage makes building momentum easier. Every 10% increase, either daily or weekly, becomes a precipitating event on its own - it will trigger positive emotions.

As you continue to make progress, you associate every "incremental 10%" with a change in performance. This constant rhythm will turn into a chain reaction , as Sakyong Mipham describes it: "Bit by bit, it starts to make sense. (The progress) begins to leak into other aspects of your life."

Momentum is not just an energy booster; it's the antidote to inertia. A consistent cadence keeps yourself in 'the zone.'

Change doesn't have to be impossible. It just requires adjusting your behavior. The Ten Percent Advantage allows you to be in charge of your destiny by focusing on small gains as you build momentum.

The first step towards effective change is focusing on one or two things you want to improve. Helping companies accelerate change, I see the desire to change everything overnight way too often. Executives resist when I push back until I help them realize that the 'laundry list' is getting their teams anxious and exhausted.

Keep change simple. Focus. The first steps are meant to start building confidence, not to change everything overnight.

If you start small, a 10% increase might seem insignificant. Once again, focus on gaining momentum. Soon, those incremental ten percents - building one on top of another - will become visible.

The most effective behavior change is organic and invisible - you will notice the team winning the game, not the small changes they were making to get there.