1% Shift Towards Health

At the beginning of every retreat, I stand in front of the room full of people and say, “We can’t fix your family this weekend… in fact, we’re not even going to try. What we’re going to do is find one area that you can make a 1% shift towards health in, and we’re going to focus on that.”

So, if you’ll allow me the privilege of doing this for you. Let me stand here, in front of you, at the beginning of a year full of possibilities, and tell you that you’re probably not going to fix your family this year, or yourself, or your waistline, or…or…or…

But, here’s the good news.

What you can do is make a 1% shift towards health… and that, my friend, is where the change really happens. 

Before we go even an inch further in this conversation, I need you to know that the work behind 1% change isn’t mine. It comes from a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. In his book, he talks about how a 1% shift in trajectory can change an entire way of living. You might be thinking, “1%... what difference can 1% make? That’s essentially tossing a penny at a dollar. Or $100 towards the two-week all-inclusive South African safari vacation that’s been on your bucket list for the last 5 years.” Right? 

Well, kind of.

A penny by itself can do very little. $100 by itself is never going to get you in front of lions roaming the African Savannah. 

But, $100 and then another $100.. Over and over again? Eventually, you’ll be experiencing the trip of a lifetime. 

The example that Clear uses in Atomic Habits is a plane leaving Los Angeles heading to New York City. If you change the flight plan with a 1-degree shift south, it wouldn’t be noticeable at all to the people on the plane, but the plane would land in Washington D.C. …. an entirely different destination.

Can you see the difference 1% makes now?

A 1% shift towards health, done consistently over time, can change the destination of your life. Whatever the struggle you’re currently experiencing, whatever the dream is that you have for your life, whatever the goal is for your bank account, your health, or your waistline… I can’t help you. But 1% can.

So what’s the thing? It doesn’t really matter how big or how small it is. Are you struggling to connect with a child in your home? Do you wish you experienced more peace in your marriage? Do you feel overwhelmed by the clutter in your home, and you want to donate everything to the local Goodwill? 

You know, in your soul, what it is. We’ll talk in future blog posts about creating a vision and knowing where you want to go… and maybe, right now, you dream of that. But, you don’t have to… right now, you just need to know your one area. 

Got it?

Great! 

Next week, we’re going to talk about how we take that first 1% shift towards health.