Episode #244 The 1% Rule that changes Everything

Mindset Matters

🎙️ Podcast Script: “The 1% Rule That Changes Everything” (Inspired by Chapter 3 of Pure Unadulterated Guts) Good morning everybody, you’re listening to the Mindset Matters podcast, I’m your host Riley Jensen and today I want to talk about the one percent rule that changes everything. Let me ask you something. Right now, today—are you just living, or are you getting better? Because there’s a rule I love, and it’s simple: Just get 1% better today. That’s it. Not 50%, not perfection. Just 1%. This idea comes from James Clear’s Atomic Habits, but it’s something I’ve seen over and over in elite athletes, high performers, and resilient people I’ve coached. But how do we measure it? How do you know you’re getting 1% better? We will talk about that today as well. Here’s some simple math for you: 1% better every day for a year? That’s 37 times better at the end of 365 days. 1% worse every day? You basically hit zero. Now, think about that in your life: What if your mindset improved 1% every day? What if your discipline did? What if your self-talk, your confidence, your leadership grew even just a little bit? Steve Young once said: “Compete against yourself. Be better than you were the day before.” And that’s the secret most people miss: You’re not competing against your teammate, your boss, or some random person online. You’re competing against yesterday’s version of you. 🔄 Let’s Interact: Think about today. What’s one small thing you did that made you better? Say it out loud. I’ll wait. (Pause) Maybe it was showing up. Maybe it was doing 10 minutes of focused work when you didn’t feel like it. That counts. But here’s the danger: There’s a mental trap in sport psychology called negativity bias. It’s why you can do five things right today, but your brain only remembers the two you screwed up. Ever been there? Driving home from practice—or work—and only thinking about the mistake? Yeah, Me too. So how do we beat it? Let's flip the script. Here’s a habit I want you to try starting today: At the end of the day, ask yourself this: “What’s one thing I did today that made me 1% better?” That’s it. Write it down. Speak it. Own it. This is called deliberate practice. And here’s the magic: deliberate practice + consistency = elite results. And you can plan to be deliberate or intentional on a calendar long before you get to a practice or a scenario that you need to be better. Now let’s get tactical. Here are 3 quick challenges to bring this to life: 🔥 Challenge 1 – Own Your Intentions Each day this week, pick ONE thing to get better at: Monday: Positive self-talk. Tuesday: Staying locked in during pressure. Wednesday: Gratitude. Thursday: Encouraging a teammate. Friday: Blocking out distractions. Journal it. Reflect on it. Celebrate it. 📱 Challenge 2 – Cut Comparison Try reducing or cutting out social media for a few days. Seriously. Track how you feel. Are you more present? More clear? Social media often fuels negativity bias. Less scrolling = more focus on YOU. ✅ Challenge 3 – Start. Stop. Sustain. What’s one thing you need to stop doing? What’s one thing you need to start doing? What’s something good you’re already doing that you want to sustain, for keep doing? Speak it. Write it. Act on it. Final thought: You don’t need to overhaul your whole life today. You don’t need a miracle. You need a moment. And if you can win just this moment, and then the next one after that? That’s called stacking wins. And you’ll wake up 37x better a year from now—mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. If this resonated with you—even just 1%— 📘 Grab a copy of Pure Unadulterated Guts. 🎧 Share this episode with a teammate, friend, or coach. ✍️ DM me the one thing you’re focusing on today. I actually want to hear from you. Because growth is hard. But it’s worth it. And so are you.