Growth Mindset: Marginal Gains

This week for the growth mindset challenge, I wanted to study something that could impact the rest of my semester and future career. What you will find below is how small changes can make a big impact – and so, my goal for myself is to make these small changes to become an improved Morgan. For example, taking a few minutes a day to go over what I did each day. This will allow me to write down anything I missed, and also reflect on how much I accomplished (I really like doing this for the Famous Last Words posts, but I want to do it on a daily basis).

“How Making 1 Percent Improvements on Tiny Things Adds Up”

The quote that most stood out to me in this article was that “it’s so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making better decisions on a daily basis.”

I think as a whole, we are only happy with ourselves if we see big changes – such a losing 20 pounds in one week. However, these big changes rarely last. How many times does a person starve themselves for one week, lose a bunch of weight, and then go back to eating and their original weight? 

With one small step, you can make a difference! (Source - Alexas Fotos)

An important note, is that it also works in reverse. This means that all of your tiny bad habits ADD UP. Should you go with water or soda? Well, today it won’t make much of a difference. But the continued choice of water over soda (or vice versa) will have a BIG impact. 

I think back to the saying that “we are what we repeatedly do.” To make something a habit, it is estimated that we need to repeat it for 3-4 weeks. So, we have to really push ourselves for a month to make those tiny good choices, but eventually it will become NATURAL! 

Just this last semester, I decided that I wanted to make the process of making my bed a habit and not a chore. So every morning I would automatically make my bed (as opposed to doing it later in the day). Now, I don’t think twice about arranging my nine (yes, nine) pillows in their perfect arrangement. In fact, if I don’t get to make my bed, I feel a bit off for that day. 

I think back to the story I wrote on Rama and Ravana’s battle, and it relates to this. Going through the process, giving it the time and attention it needs, and now expecting immediate results – this is what allowed Rama to win the battle.