Mike's Notes
A great book about how to use a "systems approach" to grow a healthy, mentally strong attitude.
1 per cent better every day is also my gameplan for Pipi 9. It compounds.
Resources
- https://www.stuff.co.nz/wellbeing/360911842/james-clear-shocking-equation-will-make-you-rethink-your-daily-habits
- https://jamesclear.com/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clear
References
- Atomic Habits by James Clear. Penguin.
- The Atomic Habits Workbook by James Clear, published by Penguin, $45.
Repository
- Home > Ajabbi Research > Library > Subscriptions > 3-2-1 Newsletter
- Home > Handbook >
Last Updated
01/03/2026
Small steps add up
I’ve been writing at JamesClear.com about habits, decision making, and continuous improvement since 2012. I’m the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 60 languages. I'm also known for my popular 3-2-1 newsletter, which is sent out each week to more than 3 million subscribers.
At the start of a new year, it’s tempting to aim for big, dramatic changes that promise overnight transformation and shiny, instant results. But according to James Clear, the best-selling author of Atomic Habits, lasting success rarely arrives in a single heroic jolt. Instead, it’s built quietly, steadily, one small choice at a time.
In a new workbook, he explains the power of consistent improvements based around the idea that if you get just 1 per cent better each day, those little gains compound into remarkable results. Small habits are easy to overlook in the moment, but they’re the very building blocks of long-term change.
So, as we step into a fresh year and all the possibility it holds, this feels like the perfect reminder: you don’t need to overhaul your life to make progress.
You don’t need huge motivation or massive willpower. You just need to start small, stay consistent and trust that every tiny step is moving you somewhere bigger.
1 per cent better every day
The typical approach to self-improvement is to set a large goal, then try to take big leaps in order to accomplish it in as little time as possible. Too often, we convince ourselves that change is meaningful only if there is some large, visible outcome associated with it. Whether it is getting stronger, building a business, travelling the world or any number of goals, we put pressure on ourselves to make some earth-shattering improvement that will awe everyone around us.
While this may sound good in theory, it often ends in burnout, frustration and failure. And yet, while improving by just 1 per cent every day isn’t notable (and sometimes isn’t even noticeable), it can be just as meaningful, especially in the long run.
It is so easy to dismiss the value of making slightly better decisions on a daily basis. Sticking with the fundamentals is not impressive. Falling in love with boredom is not exciting. Getting 1 per cent better isn’t going to make headlines.
There is one thing about it though – it works.
In the beginning, there is basically no difference between making a choice that is 1 per cent better or not. (In other words, it won’t impact you very much today.) But as time goes on, these small improvements compound, and you suddenly find a very big gap between people who make slightly better decisions on a daily basis and those who don’t.
Here’s the punch line: if you get 1 per cent better each day for one year, you’ll end up 37 times better by the time you’re done. That’s probably a more massive result than you would ever expect, even from a one-time heroic leap, and yet it’s achievable through just one tiny change a day.
This is why small choices don’t make much of a difference at the time but add up over the long term.
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Photo: Edited extract from The Atomic Habits Workbook by James Clear, published by Penguin, $45.
But here’s the thing: if positive compounding is true, then so is the inverse. If you get 1 per cent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero. The lesson is that what starts as a small win, or a minor setback, grows into something much greater. This is why the first important concept when it comes to behaviour change is the key role of continuous self-improvement. Just one tiny shift can change everything.
If you want to predict where you’ll end up in life, all you have to do is follow the curve of tiny gains and losses and see how your daily choices will compound 10 or 20 years down the line.
This is why it doesn’t matter how successful or unsuccessful you are right now. What matters is whether your habits are putting you on the path toward success. Focus on your current trajectory, not your current results. It’s a much better indicator of where you’re headed.
So stop obsessing over the big and start focusing on the small – it’s the key to building the life you want. Success is the product of daily habits – not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.
Edited extract from The Atomic Habits Workbook by James Clear, published by Penguin, $45.
