'Bhaiyya,’ said Rahul. ‘I’ve been trying to top the class for a while now. But however hard I try, I am not making any progress.’
‘True,’ said Rinku. ‘Why can’t we get big results through smaller and more efficient efforts? Why is change so big and difficult? Isn’t there an easier way?’
‘There is,’ said Rakesh. ‘In fact, all big things are a result of tiny changes, made consistently. In his book Atomic Habits, author James Clear explains how a simple 1% change daily can lead to unbelievable results.’
‘Just a 1% change?’ asked Rinku. ‘How?’
‘Look at this example to understand how it works,’ said Rakesh. ‘The British cycling team hasn’t won a single major title since 1908. In 2003, Dave Brailsford took over and introduced the idea of ‘aggregation of marginal gains’, wherein, they broke down every aspect related to riding a bike and improved each by 1%. Seats, grips, fabric, massage gels, hand-washing methods, pillows, mattresses — all things, directly and indirectly, affecting the process. Over the next decade, the British team won 178 world championships, 66 Olympic and Paralympic medals and five Tour de France Championships. The marginal gains added up and delivered astounding results.’
‘Wow,’ said Rahul. ‘So, if I pick my studies as my area to improve, how can I break down the system?’
‘Let’s figure it out,’ said Rinku. ‘Where we study, when, who with, how, the chair, table, light, posture, clothes, food, water, rest, distractions and routine. Even a five-minute improvement works out to 30 more hours of study time over the year.’
‘True,’ said Rakesh. ‘Gains can result in direct process improvement or by cutting losses. Mathematically, a 1% gain daily over 365 days translates to a phenomenal 37.78 times increase, while a 1% loss daily takes you down to almost zero over a year. That’s the impact a 1% change has over a year. The key however is small changes made consistently. Big and inconsistent changes will have no effect.’
‘Great,’ said Rahul. ‘My goal is to top the class. I’ll use this marginal gains technique to achieve it.’
‘I’d suggest you adopt a systems-focused approach rather than an outcome-focused one,’ said Rakesh. ‘Clear says we don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems. So keep your focus on small improvements in all the systems that affect your studies — and you’ll achieve way more than you can imagine. A bigger benefit of being systems-focused is that you’re fully engaged, the process becomes highly enjoyable and every 1% gain is a win.’ 
‘Wow, bhaiyya,’ said Rahul. ‘That’s true. I’m starting right away.’