Adaptability in Numbers
The 1% Rule & The 80/20 Principle: Why Adaptability is a Numbers Game
Think success is about big, bold moves? Think again.
The people and businesses that win aren’t the ones making massive, sweeping changes overnight. They’re the ones making small, strategic adjustments over time.
It’s a numbers game.
Two powerful concepts prove it:
The 1% Rule: Tiny improvements compound into massive results.
The 80/20 Principle: The small things that matter most drive the biggest impact.
Get these two working for you, and adaptability stops being a struggle—it becomes your edge.
Here’s how it works.
Most People Resist Change Because They Think It’s Too Hard
Ever felt stuck because making a big change seems overwhelming?
You want to get in shape, but the idea of a total lifestyle overhaul feels impossible.
Your business needs better marketing, but the thought of redoing everything is paralysing.
You want to switch careers, but it feels like an all-or-nothing leap.
So, what happens?
You do nothing. And nothing changes.
But here’s the secret: Adaptability isn’t about radical shifts—it’s about micro-adjustments that stack up over time.
Let’s break that down.
The Hidden Cost of Staying the Same
Every day you don’t adapt, you fall behind.
A business that doesn’t refine its strategy? Loses customers.
An athlete who never tweaks their training? Stalls progress.
A musician who refuses to experiment with new sounds? Fades into obscurity.
Even worse—staying stagnant feels safer but is actually riskier.
The world moves fast. If you’re not making small improvements, you’re unconsciously choosing slow decline.
So how do you adapt without feeling overwhelmed?
By leveraging the 1% Rule and the 80/20 Principle.
The 1% Rule – Small Wins, Big Results
Most people overestimate what they can do in a day but underestimate what they can do in a year.
The 1% Rule is simple:
Improve by just 1% each day or each week—in fitness, business, learning, or any skill.
Over time, these tiny improvements compound exponentially.
After a year, that 1% daily improvement makes you 37x better than where you started.
How to Apply It:
Want to get fit? Start with one extra rep, one healthier meal, one more walk.
Want to grow a Side Hustle, Start-Up or Business? Tweak one email, one ad, one process at a time.
Want to master a skill? Practice just 15 extra minutes daily.
It doesn’t seem like much today, but in a year? You’re unrecognisable.
And when you combine the 1% Rule with the 80/20 Principle, the results skyrocket.
The 80/20 Principle – Focus on What Moves the Needle
Most of what you do doesn’t actually matter. Brutal, but true.
The 80/20 Principle (also called the Pareto Principle) states:
80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.
80% of your problems come from 20% of your mistakes.
How to Apply It:
In Muscle Growth: 80% of your gains come from 20% of your effort. It’s not just about the exercises—it’s about intensity. Focus on compound lifts and push your last 1-2 reps to failure. That’s where real muscle growth happens.
In business: 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your customers. Double down on them instead of chasing low-value clients.
In learning: 80% of your progress comes from 20% of what you study. Focus on the highest-yield topics.
The trick is identifying your 20%—then doubling down on what works.
Bringing It All Together: Adaptability in Numbers
Here’s the formula for unstoppable growth:
Use the 1% Rule – Make small, consistent improvements.
Apply the 80/20 Principle – Focus on the few things that create the biggest impact.
Adapt constantly – Keep adjusting and refining based on feedback.
It’s not about overnight success. It’s about making adaptability effortless.
The best part? Once you commit to this way of thinking, you never have to start over again.
You’re always improving, always growing, and always ahead of the curve.
P.S. If this hit home, drop a comment and let me know which one—the 1% Rule or 80/20 Principle—you’ll apply first, or both!
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Such helpful principles to apply to our lives. I am trying to use the 80/20 principle more and more to help make decisions on where to allocate my time and energy.
Yeah totally! 80/20 makes life so much easier once you get the hang of it. It’s crazy how often a small part of our effort drives the biggest results.