Focus On Marginal Improvement

Consistent small changes bring massive results

Photo Credit: Pexels .. RUN 4 FFWPU

Since 1908, Britain had only won one gold medal at the Olympic games in cycling. In 2003, all of this changed when Britain hired Dave Brailsford as the new team cycling coach.

Between 2007–2017 British cyclists won 178 world championships, 66 Olympic or paralympic gold medals, and five Tour de France victories, and is widely regarded as the most successful run in cycling history. (Source: Atomic Habits by James Clear).

What changed?

Brailsford focused on implementing the tiniest changes such as:

• The cyclist’s clothing that kept the cyclist’s muscles warm and activated
• Consistently alternating the training regimen and using biofeedback sensors to obtain immediate feedback from team members.
• Trying different massage gels to learn which ones provided faster muscle recovery.
• Teaching cyclists how to effectively wash their hands to prevent sickness.

And the list goes on.

It wasn’t about overhauling the team’s current process overnight or accomplishing results in 24 hours. No. It was about steady improvement that set the foundation for massive achievement.