Inch Yourself Forward
Inch by inch is a cinch. Yard by yard is hard.
The Big Bold Mindset knows that when you are consistent, compounding will do its magic.Chapter 13, The Big Bold Mindset
Ten years old, rowing through a storm.
I was 10, in a nine-foot dinghy with my dad, rowing across a storm-bound bay. We were being swept out to sea, surrounded by breaking waves. I was scared.
His words were simple: "Inch by inch is a cinch. Yard by yard is hard." One inch at a time, we'd chip away at it. We got home safely.
Years later, with half-started projects stalled all around me, I'd forgotten that lesson. Breaking the challenge into much smaller pieces is what got me moving again.
How did you achieve your last big goal?
When did you last achieve a goal that once seemed impossible?
Did it happen in one day, or in hundreds of small steps?
Which of your projects has stalled because progress wasn't consistent?
1% better every day makes you 37.8 times better in a year.
Einstein reportedly called compounding the eighth wonder of the world. Small, consistent improvements add up to something huge.
Consistency wins
British Cycling
Small adjustments to equipment, training, nutrition and teamwork. At Beijing 2008 they won 60% of the golds they competed for.
Miles a day
Scott's team pushed hard in good weather and hunkered down in bad. The Norwegian team marched 20 miles every day, reached the Pole and survived.
Seconds
On the BT Global Challenge we cut the handles off our toothbrushes to save weight. We once beat a boat by 10 seconds after more than 40 days of racing.
Julia Hartz, Eventbrite: thousands of small changes
In 2006, Julia Hartz and her co-founders imagined a self-service platform for selling event tickets.
Their edge wasn't one big breakthrough. It was marginal gains, applied relentlessly across every part of the product. A big bold idea, backed by consistent implementation.
Overnight success is not a thing.The Big Bold Mindset
The marginal gains process
Some people love the detail. Some, like me, don't. Either way your team needs this skill, so bring in people who are strong where you are weak.
Identify
List every area where you could improve.
Analyse
Look for small changes in each part.
Prioritise
Start with the biggest impact.
Micro goals
Set a specific goal for each part.
Go
Make small changes, not overhauls.
Measure
Track progress in each area.
Evolve
Reflect, learn and refine.
Listen
Ask mentors and colleagues for feedback.
One thing at the top of the page
Each morning this week, write the single most important thing for that day at the top of the page in your diary. Do it before anything else. Watch how the small wins add up by Friday.
Find your team's 1% gains
Pick one project that matters. Break it down until every part has a small, measurable next step.
Want Caspar to take your team through this? casparcraven.com