The magic of a mere 1%

Under the leadership of Sir Dave Brailsford, British Cycling went through a remarkable transformation. Prior to his arrival in 2002, the team had a rather lacklustre track record, with only one gold medal to their name in 76 years. Under Brailsford's leadership, things took a turn for the better. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, his team achieved an impressive feat by winning seven out of 10 gold medals in track cycling. They replicated this success at the London Olympics four years later.

Brailsford firmly believed in the value of a concept he called the 'aggregation of marginal gains', seeing it as a way to make small improvements in every aspect of one's work. He firmly believed that making small, or so-called 1% improvements in every aspect would have a cumulative effect and result in significant progress. The success of British Cycling now proves that he was correct.

Susan Jeffers, the author of 'Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway,' suggests a similar approach to venturing beyond our comfort zones. She encourages us to embrace opportunities to step outside of our known comfort zones by taking small risks each day. These so-called micro-risks might include exploring new footpaths while walking your dog, indulging in a delightful pumpkin spice triple cream latte (because who can resist!), or even embracing the pure bliss of dancing in the snow!

Why not give it a try? Even if things don't go exactly as planned, you'll still be expanding your ability to embrace and take risks, and you never know where your micro-adventures may ultimately lead you!