This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Applying 1% effort to diet and exercise is best
It’s Easy To Achieve Your Goals, But It’s Also Easy Not To
Living healthily and actively is easy, but it’s also easy not to do – especially when you don’t feel like investing in your health, which is typical.
Who’s In Control: You Or Your Feelings?
Feelings are the number one reason why we fail to reach our goals.
If you look at your daily habits, who is most in charge: you or your feelings?
You will never accomplish your goals if you live by how you feel.
Feelings will often lead us astray >90% of the time.
Invest 1% V 100%
The best thing to do is invest 1% effort into a task every day or every other day; this will reap the rewards. On the other hand, investing hours of effort every once in a while will be too inconsistent to reap tremendous rewards.
It’s not always about how much versus how often.
1% every day is more rewarding than 100% every so often.
Frequency V Quantity
Frequency (consistency) will always trump quantity.
Yes, the guy could’ve done a 60-minute workout, but it’s better for him to go to the gym several days a week for a shorter period than to only go to the gym once a week for a longer period. The more often he goes to the gym, the more likely he is to stay longer.
The Diet Test
Most people eat more healthy or less healthy. Now and then, you find someone who equally does a bit of both, but it’s less common. We are creatures of habit, which means we usually gravitate in one direction more so than the other.
Do you eat primarily clean or mostly dirty?
If you’re struggling to eat clean, follow the same plan you do for your less healthy diet. If you tend to eat out and consume a lot of sugar and processed food, do the opposite.
Eat out less, consume less sugar, and eat more foods that don’t have a lot of additives and over-processing.
How To Reverse Your Habits
Learn to reverse your habits, but take your time! If you usually eat a donut for breakfast, eliminate the donut. If you usually add three packs of sugar to your coffee, only add one.
I was chatting with a friend trying to decrease their medication dosage for their mental health. They slowly decrease their dependency on the medication over time instead of trying to cold turkey the process.
1% changes are always more effective than bigger ones; it gives our bodies and mind time to adjust. Furthermore, it mitigates the pain we might feel with the new changes we are implementing.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.