Importance of Small Incremental Improvements in Life to Increase Productivity

“Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection.”

– Kim Collins

To achieve any goal in life, it is essential to understand the approach of incremental improvement. This approach is based on the cumulative effects of several gradual and smaller solutions to deal with any problems. It is the compound effect of quantified efforts that result in all areas of life, whether professional or personal. The results, however, are long-lasting and consistent in most cases. There are no intense effects, but the compound effect of several small improvements leads to substantial marginal gains.

Importance of Incremental Improvement

Incremental improvements are easy to implement because complex processes do not hinder them. The smaller but effective changes carry a lot of importance as they can bring about persistent and significant results in the long run. The quality of life dramatically improves by applying positive changes to it. This practice boosts your confidence in approaching the problems with a sensible and practical attitude. You save yourself from experiencing the frustration and restlessness of not exercising control over the changes you want to accomplish and prevent failure. 

Incremental improvements are also necessary to retain the energy resulting from the inborn “fight or flight” response that pumps irrepressible energy into your body. These gradual developments help you channelize this energy and cool down your demeanor. It is also easier to focus on little portions because massive changes drain you of life without any actual results.  

Apart from this, the incremental changes endorse other good habits that help make your life easier. The question is, how exactly do these small habits benefit you? To answer this question, here are some of the advantages.

New and Better Habits

It is never too late to learn and develop habits that would lead you to success. However, it is essential to remember that there will be no instant results. The change will be gradual. 

One prominent example of this is physical fitness and losing weight. If you are looking for dramatic overnight results, you are in for a shocking failure. Hitting the gym for even a week and working out persistently and a strict diet won’t yield any results. Instead, you will experience a burn-out and end up eating even more to satisfy your cravings and putting on even more weight at the end of the month. Instead, you will have to induce gradual changes every day. By steadily intensifying your workouts and developing healthy eating habits one or two at a time will yield better results. The result you are looking for may come after a couple of years, but it will be long-lasting because of the new and better habits you have developed. 

You can apply this approach to any field of life. 

If you are a student and want to develop a daily reading habit, then you will have to start with a few lines daily. If you have never read anything other than course books, comics, and memes but pick out a 500 pages book, you will never finish it. However, by consistently increasing the number of lines daily, you can move on to paragraphs and then gradually pages. Eventually, you will be interested enough to read chapters and will develop the habit. 

No matter what you want to do, it is much easier to do it because of constant and incremental improvements.

Practicing Consistency, Balance, and Moderation

Being mindful of consistency, balance and moderation in life is also very important to lead a good life. You may ask Why? Well, it is because too much of anything always ends in a disaster.  That is the flipside of the incremental improvement. 

All harmful habits like smoking, drinking, drug-addiction, and playing too many video games, and more start with small, consistent steps. Small steps towards negativity can lead to deeper negative habits. 

On the other hand, good habits can also pose a problem if you become addicted to them. For instance, if you have developed the habit of eating healthy and remaining fit, it is good. However, if this habit controls your whole life, it is even more dangerous than occasionally indulging in vices. Diseases like Anorexia are examples of being significantly weight conscious and leading to harmful consequences. Too much of anything is wrong. 

Thus, it is essential to practice consistency, balance, and moderation when integrating incremental improvements. 

To further understand this, think of the employees working in a company. If their workload is increased suddenly, everyone feels overwhelmed. The same goes for any other significant changes in the company policies and work environment. This one act can cause rifts between the management and the unions. 

If the companies apply this same workload, transitions, and policies gradually in smaller doses, the negative feelings won’t prevail on either side. Everyone will be happy, the work will go on smoothly, and the company will also benefit in the end. 

Similarly, companies that encourage dealings with problems on the base levels are more successful and productive because there are no extra channels and approvals that may hinder the process. Every individual is responsible for dealing with the problem, and usually, this nips the problems early-on. 

You should approach your loved ones and other people with the same attitude. It is essential to set your priorities and deal with them accordingly. These incremental improvements can solve the problems between the spouses as well. Doing something positive for your loved ones consistently, even if it is a small gesture, is the key to a happy life.

Conclusion

To be successful in every area of your life, assess where you are lacking. Then embark on the journey of accomplishment, starting with useful incremental improvements that will be instrumental in helping you yield effective results. It is the best way to lead your life and accomplish your goals.