New year, new me

With the new year finally here, everyone is on their new year's resolutions. They're going to finally quit binging Netflix. They're going to start working out. They're going to transform themselves.

But the statistics say otherwise. While ~60% of adults set new year's resolutions, 31% will give up within 2 months. 80% will give up in the first 6 months. And by the end of the year, only 6% of individuals will remain. So clearly, this system is flawed. If an operation had a success rate of 6%, no one would do it. You would find alternatives. So why don't we do the same with new year's resolutions?

Well, the answer is simple. We always do what the majority does. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad. But that doesn't mean you can't be different. There is a growing group of people who know that you don't need a resolution to change. You just need action. Now.

Let's get into it.

The problem with January 1st

Here's the root of my problem with new year, new me. If you're the type of person who waits till a certain date to change, you've got bigger problems. Now, don't get me wrong. I love doing yearly reviews and planning out the coming year. The problem is that people leave all the potential growth for January first. This means that the whole year you're preparing for change, but you never change. When the time actually comes for change, you don't stick with it because you haven't trained your mind to adapt and change.

Now, this wouldn't be such a problem if it wasn't so widespread. But 60% of adults make new year's resolutions. That means a huge chunk of them are putting off change until the new year. That's a lot of wasted potential. You're only getting ~1-5% better a year. Quick clarification. Obviously, people aren't actually keeping all their growth to the new year. We grow throughout the year. But by using the new year model, most people restrict total growth.

Here's the point. There's nothing wrong with using a date as a milestone. But there is a problem with pushing off growth to a future date simply because "it'll be part of my resolution." Start now. Pushing something off always makes it worse. Handle issues now before they get worse and become harder to fix later. You'll thank yourself.

New day, new me

Instead of changing every year, you can compress the timeline and still get all the same benefits. You do a review at the end of every year? Do it every day. You plan out your entire year? Do it every day. By shortening the time between revision and action, you can grow much much faster. Imagine the difference between someone who gets 1% better every day, and someone who gets 10% better every year. After only a week, you're way ahead. After a month, you're unrecognizable. After a year, you'll be a completely different person. That's the power of compounding.

There are two key caveats to this approach though: restriction and honesty. You don't need to go overboard on this. A short journaling session at the end of each day and a planning session when you first sit down at your desk are enough. Only 10-15 minutes total every day and you can completely change the trajectory of your life.

Now, honesty. Humans are not honest by default. Think about any politician. Most of us normal people aren't even honest. Not to ourselves, and not to each other. Sometimes you can fix this. If we choose to tell the truth even when it'll hurt, we could get rid of a large chunk of the dishonesty in the world. But beyond that, we are dishonest to ourselves. We have incorrect perceptions of ourselves. This isn't intentional. Humans simply can't view themselves correctly. But we can get close. Habit tracking is one of the best methods to do this. By reviewing what you said you were going to do and what you actually did, you can hone your honesty.

Your new resolution: 1% better

Rigidity is the enemy of adaptability. The new year, new me approach is rigid. The best system for growth is something that can adapt to anyone's situation. My favorite system, as I mentioned earlier, is becoming 1% better every day. But here's the trick. It's not only about small improvements. It's about working towards a greater being. You're trying to change who you are, not just what you do. By focusing on daily change and consistent gains, you are far more likely to achieve your big goals.

1% is not much on a daily scale. But on the scale of a year? It's huge. We can't comprehend things that compound. As Albert A. Bartlett said,

The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.

Think about it. If you improve 1% every day, you will be 37x better than when you started. This applies to everything, not simply personal development. Getting 1% better might involve learning a new skill, improving an existing one, or taking care of your health. It could mean reading a chapter of a book each day, meditating for a few minutes, or even taking a short walk after every meal. The goal is to keep moving forward, bit by bit, day by day.

So, the question remains: how do you get 1% better every day?

1. Figure out what you want to work on. This could be honesty, social awkwardness, or something completely unrelated. Find something.

2. Keep a journal or a digital note where you can record your daily achievements, no matter how small. It will create a bank of reasons you can keep going. This is useful not only for finding meaning in the growth, but also persistence.

3. Stick to it. A year is a long time. You'll miss some days. The point is to be consistent, not strict.

In the end, by improving 1% every day, you'll not only be able to achieve your goals, but you'll far surpass them. You only need to stick with it for a year.

See you in the next one.

-Luke