We’re well past the making of new year’s resolutions. I’m sure some have already fallen by the wayside. That may be because we required all too much all at once…

But we can’t help it… the end of one year causes contemplation as we mull over ideas left unexplored, ambitions put on hold, and goals deferred for a more 'convenient' time (…that never came). Then, with a new year and a new opportunity on the horizon, we give in to the pull of the ambitious hope that we can fix what fell short in the previous year, and even reimagine ourselves as the ideal being that goes to the gym four times a week, while meal prepping, never missing a PTA meeting and finally getting going on that business idea… All at once!

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have those who have long resolved never to make new year’s resolutions again… because they don’t work, and they only lead to disappointment and self-deprecation when we inevitably fail at them…

The common thread was the desire to improve…

In 2003, Sir Dave Brailsford was appointed performance director of British Cycling, a team that had struggled for nearly a century with underwhelming results. Their performance was so poor that top bike manufacturers refused to sell them equipment, fearing it would hurt their brand. Brailsford introduced a revolutionary approach called the “aggregation of marginal gains”—the idea that making tiny 1% improvements across multiple areas would lead to significant overall progress. 1% at a time… not all at once.

The team optimized every detail, from bike aerodynamics and rider training techniques to nutrition, sleep quality, and even the type of massage gel used. They painted the inside of their transport truck white to spot dust particles that could affect bike performance. These small, seemingly insignificant changes compounded over time.

Within five years, British Cycling dominated the Beijing 2008 Olympics, winning seven out of ten gold medals in track cycling. Four years later, at London 2012, they repeated this success. In road cycling, the transformation was equally dramatic—Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist ever to win the Tour de France in 2012, followed by multiple wins from Chris Froome.

Brailsford’s philosophy proved that small, consistent improvements can lead to extraordinary success, a lesson applicable far beyond cycling.

As we get ready to ‘do it all again’ in 2025, what is it that you can improve on by 1%? From advancing your education, to improving family relations and getting a better handle on personal finances, what can you tweak slightly in order to improve an outcome? You don’t need to paint your house white so that you can keep track of dust 😅, but what minor augmentation can you make to revive that ambition you ‘temporarily’ put on hold 32 months ago? Or to bring you closer to your financial goal of paying off your house sooner…? Could it be to start by adding just 1% more to your bond payment? Or putting 1% more into your retirement savings? Suddenly starting to run a 5k at 5am before work might be too much all at once, but getting up 5 minutes sooner and doing 10 sit ups might be the 1% improvement that gets you started.

For 2025, don’t make the kind of resolutions that’ll simply be added to the dusty shelves of previous failed resolutions… adopt the principle of the aggregation of marginal gains and resolve to consistently and repeatedly become 1% better in as many facets of your life as you can handle. 

The path forward involves patience and persistence. Apply for that job. Learn to poach that egg. Do that admin as soon as you realise it must be done. See that therapist. Develop the courage to say No without having to explain why. Talk to that financial advisor.

By small and simple things are great things brought to pass… Not all at once. One consistent character-building and habit-transforming percent at a time…