Measure Success By Tiny Gains and Relentless Focus on Improvement

Progress isn’t always big, showy, or viral; it’s most often a series of micro-steps, nearly invisible except in retrospect. Take the world-beating British cycling team: before their Olympic dominance, they were overlooked, ridiculed, and nowhere near greatness. Then a new director took over and obsessed about 1% improvements—seat design, handwashing, sleep quality, tire rub, wind resistance. No one change stood out, but together, their power compounded until the team claimed medals and shattered world records.

This philosophy, known as 'kaizen' or marginal gains, translates cleanly into every domain. One small better habit, reliably compounded, changes the arc far more than ambitious leaps attempted in short, unsustainable bursts. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being in motion.

Individual or team, business or creative, those who track and celebrate each gain, no matter how incremental, unlock a sense of momentum and motivation that outpaces competitors and keeps spirits high. It’s not magic—it’s mathematics, and it feels like winning.

Tonight, pick an area where you feel stuck or intimidated by the scale of the goal—maybe a big project, a personal challenge, or a new skill. Write down the smallest possible improvement you can reasonably make, something that nudges things forward by 1%. For the next week, focus on this micro-step and jot it down in your diary or tracker. At the end of the week, reflect on your progress, celebrate the effort, and decide what tomorrow’s extra 1% looks like. Share each small win with a friend, coach, or in a journal, and let momentum do its work. Give yourself permission for progress, not perfection.