Little changes can create big outcomes
As an avid marathon runner and as someone who has completed the Abbott World Marathon Majors (London, New York, Berlin, Boston, Tokyo and Chicago) I'm somewhat obsessed with marathon times and how the elites shave off minutes and their finish times become increasingly unrealistic to the extent that they almost have a super power!
Kenyan runner Sebastian Sawe became the first athlete to officially complete a competitive marathon in under two hours in London this year; winning the race in a staggering time of 1:59: 30. Runner-up Yomif Kejelcha also broke the two-hour barrier with a time of 1:59: 41. It makes my PB of 3.25 look very insignificant!
When Sebastian Sawe crossed the finish line this year many headlines focused on his remarkable time and record breaking performances, and deservedly so. However, another story was running alongside him; the shoes!
Modern marathon 'super shoes' look similar to the trainers you or I wear, yet inside are years and years of tiny innovations - lighter material, advanced foam, carbon structures and improved energy return technology intended to reduce wasted effort. None of these changes individually transformed marathon running. But the overall impact of each component becomes extraordinary and marathon times have slowly tumbled.
This serves us as a great reminder that progress rarely arrives through one giant leap. You can't run a 5k one day and expect to run a marathon the following week. It's all about the preparation!
Five minutes spent preparing before a meeting could make or break the experience. Five minutes checking in with a colleague could completely change their day. What about five minutes organising your inbox before you launch into the day? None of this feels like rocket science and on its own, each action seems almost too small to matter.
However the advances in the marathon trianer have taught us that little changes can create big ourcomes.
You don't need to redsign everything overnight. You can consider improving one small thing today. Five minutes a day doesn't seem like much; until you add it up.
In the best selling book, Atomic Habits, James Clear explains that doing something for just 5 minutes a day is an excellent strategy because a habit must be established before it can be improved. By making a habit incredibly easy, you bypass resistance and build the vital momentum needed for long-term consistency.
Good luck with your new 5 minute habit! We'd love to know what you intend doing!
