Have you ever looked at someone’s finished art and thought: “This looks awesome! I want to do that too!” You dive in and give it your all, only to find that your attempt is not as good as theirs and that it may take years to reach their level. At this point, you might consider giving up or going back to your comfort zone. But what if I told you that there’s another way? That you could reach their level by improving just a little bit at a time? Small progress of let’s say 1% at a time.
Sure, you might object that it will take years. But consider this: the years will pass anyway! The real question is whether or not you’ll get better every day as the years go by. The trick is to keep trying to get better. How do you do that? By aiming for just 1% improvement at a time.
Small Progress Until You Reach 100%
Start by identifying your weak areas and the things you want to focus on. What do you want to get better at? Here’s a personal example: I wanted to improve my ability to draw backgrounds. What was I doing? Whenever I drew a character, I spent extra time researching and studying what makes a good background. Then I applied that knowledge to my drawings. Was it a perfect background? No, of course not. But it was 1% better than the last one. And the next time I focused on backgrounds, it was 2% better. Then 3%, 4%, 5%, until I was 100% better than before.
Improvement Becomes Inevitable
The key is to keep doing your creative work and keep aiming for that 1% improvement. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to look good. But every time you try, you’ll learn far more than you would by simply repeating what you’ve always done. Improvement becomes inevitable. There is no need for specific goals or rigid habits. Just keep doing what you are doing and ask yourself: “How can I get 1% better?”
I can promise you this: as the years go by, you will reach a moment where you realize, “Wow, I’m actually good at this”. And someone will look at your art and say: “This looks awesome! I want to do that too!” So take this mindset and try it!
Still not convinced? Here’s a small list of the pros of the 1% improvement mindset:
Pros of Getting 1% Better
- Continuous improvement adds up over time, leading to significant progress in the long run. James Clear has a nice image that visualizes this!
- Focusing on small growth reduces the pressure to achieve perfection right away, making the journey more enjoyable and less stressful.
- Celebrating small victories builds confidence and motivates further progress, creating a positive feedback loop.
- Embracing mistakes as learning opportunities fosters a growth mindset and accelerates skill development.
- Small improvements allow for flexibility and adaptation to changing circumstances or feedback, leading to greater resilience.