Rethinking Best Practices

Advice on any topic invariably focuses on best practices.

Save 20% of your income, eat a balanced diet, take 10,000 steps per day, and publish on social media at least every day.

The problem with "best practices" is looking at them when you’re starting from zero.

The enormity of the task is paralysing, leading many to disregard the advice altogether.

When I'm asked how often to publish on social media, I reply, “How often are you posting now?”

If the answer is never, I suggest publishing once a week. If they’re posting 3 times a week, I’ll suggest bumping it up to four posts, every week. Set a small incremental goal and commit to that.

Actions, no matter how small, are exponentially better than doing nothing at all.

You don’t need a complete overhaul. Try running an extra 500 metres for your next few runs, or read a page every night, or extend your meditation practice by two minutes. These tiny shifts form part of your routine and from here you'll grow.

Even if you fall short of the pinnacle of best practices, you'll still be way ahead of where you are right now.