How can you Improve your Life, Achieve Goals but not Overwhelm Yourself?
If you have read anything else about me or anything I have written, you’ll know I love big goals and have achieved a lot.
I’ve also turned numerous obstacles into opportunities, won a bunch of awards and generally live a life different to others with travel, kids, flexible working etc.
But the past few years have been a struggle, as I am sure they have been for many.
I was so caught up in everything and everyone around, I didn’t even recognise myself anymore.
My confidence, sense of self, a clear direction in life all seemed to disappear in the blur of being a mother, their needs and dealing with some trauma.
At the end of 2024, I had started to get on track, I’d lost weight and was feeling healthier again.
I had an idea of what I wanted, clear goals and direction for the upcoming year.
Then I got some life changing news which completely derailed my plans for 2025.
Despite numerous health issues that should cause infertility… I am pregnant with my fifth child due August 2025.
Get 1% Better Despite Obstacles
My previous pregnancies had numerous medical issues and since some of my goals this year were about health, I had to adapt.
No matter what is happening in your life, there are probably ways you can still improve your life by 1%.
It might not seem like much but 1% in the right direction adds up and is significantly better than doing nothing.
Doing nothing is the same as going in the opposite direction anyway so you may as well aim for 1%, right?
I read about this in Atomic Habits and The Compound Effect.
So here are some ways to make small improvements in different areas of your life.
Finance
Money, or the lack of it, can be the cause of anxiety, depression, struggle, divorce and more.
Knowing where to start can be overwhelming, especially if you haven’t grown up knowing how to budget or learning about money.
Here are a few ways you can improve by 1% (or maybe a bit more).
Save 1% From All Income
For any income that comes to you whether it is your wage, selling something you don’t need anymore, doing an online survey or anything else, put aside 1%.
As you get used to living without that 1%, increase it to 2% then 3% and so on until you reach your goal of 10% or 20% or however much you want to be saving.
1% of $100 is $1 and 1% of $1,000 is $10. That is significantly less than suddenly trying to save 10% or more but it is still saving something.
As your savings grow, so will your confidence about money.
You can take it a step further by also looking for other ways to bring in more income to cover the amount you are saving plus a little extra.
For example, ask for a raise, look at changing companies for better pay or possibly careers. Upskill to make yourself more promotable. Try a side hustle or start a businesss.
Find ideas for side hustles here and tips to increase your income here.
$27.40 a Day = $10,000 in a Year
The goal to save $10,000 can feel insurmountable to some but finding a way to make or save an extra $27.40 per day seems easier to do.
Do it every day and at the end of 12 months, you will have $10,000 in that account.
How can you make or save an extra $27.40 a day?
Start by reducing expenses e.g. comparing insurance, electricity and other bills to see if you can get a better deal.
Sell off things you don’t need.
Look at doing some online surveys, odd jobs for other people or starting your own business/side gig.
Babysitting, cleaning and yardwork all pay more than $27.40 per hour in Australia and those are in demand services.
Save The First Hour
I heard about this from author David Bach (he has numerous books such as The Automatic Millionaire and others you can find here).
Essentially, save the wage from the first hour of your work day instead of a percentage.
It aligns with the “pay yourself first” principle in The Richest Man in Babylon.
If you cannot afford to pay yourself the first hour of every day, start with saving the first hour of every week, then the first hour of Monday and Tuesday and so on.
Save Every $5 Note or $2 Coin
Another saving tactic similar to 1% is saving every $5 note or $2 coin if you still use case.
Personally, I prefer the percentages of building on 1% instead of the other options listed but you can also combine them.
For example, you could do 1% AND aim for making and saving an extra $27.40 per day. Or do 1% and the $5 notes.
Find something that will work for you and start today.
I also recommend having a separate high interest savings account for this e.g Up Bank offers $15 as soon as you join. Both are online only and fee free.
Physical Health
Due to various health issues in my life, physical health is extremely important to my kids and I.
My older two kids are also international champions in their chosen fields (wrestling and robotics) both of which they need to be fit for.
Having had a few babies and being pregnant with my fifth, as well as having paralysis issues and multiple surgeries before, I am well acquainted with the start slow/do 1% method for healing.
How can you improve your physical health by 1%?
250 Steps Per Hour
The research on regular movement throughout the day shows how important it is for our long term health.
Recently I purchased a Fitbit Charge 5 which prompts you to walk 250 steps per hour between 9 and 5.
Too many of us have sedentary jobs which leads to all sorts of health issues.
Aiming for 250 steps isn’t that hard if you are going to the bathroom, getting a drink of water etc.
The improvement on your health will be significant though, even if you don’t notice it at first.
Mini Exercises When Waiting
Do 10 squats when you are waiting for the shower to heat up or try 10 pushups when waiting for something to warm in the microwave etc.
Look at what you are doing, how often you are waiting, even if only for a minute or two and think about how you can be active in those moments.
Aim for 10 Minutes in the Morning
Can you do a 10 minute workout such as a yoga session or pilates first thing in the morning?
Or reduce it to 1 minute of something and build on that.
Starting small is much easier than trying to workout for an hour every morning when you have not been working out at all.
Choose something you enjoy, something you can commit to long term and start.
Relationships
The easiest way to get better in relationships is to listen to understand and be authentically yourself.
What is something someone important to you has been telling you repeatedly or trying to get you to understand?
A few other things:
Look for little ways to bring joy and connection. How you do that depends on your dynamic, what you enjoy/value etc.
Learn to set and stick to boundaries. This takes time, however I included it as a 1% thing because learning and implementing these things is a step at a time, not instant.
Discuss goals, find out what each others short and long term goals are, what sort of lifestyle you each want, what you value etc to see how compatible you are.
Evaluate the relationship from the perspective of if your friend or sister or loved one was in it. Would you want this for them? If not, why not? What changes can be made?
Create your own happiness, work on yourself, heal what needs to be healed and be the best version of yourself for yourself. When you are living authentically, you will attract similar. If you are meant to grow together, you will.
Consider these 17 changes that helped me get out of a rut and improve my happiness.
Parent/Child Relationships
Getting closer to your children or parents can require more of an effort and if you want those to be strong relationships, you should do it.
Small gestures can go a long way and don’t need to take a lot of time or effort.
Get Closer to Your Kids
My teenagers and I are closer than any of their friends are with their parents.
That is because I spend a lot of time with them, have been emotionally available and we do things such as a family activity every week.
How can you get closer to your kids or connect more?
Look at doing a family activity every week but something everyone will enjoy. We like going to the beach, discovering waterfalls, snorkeling, surfing, diving and outdoor activities.
Ice-skating, watching a movie from ‘my era’ or a specific series and discussing it, playing games or having a fire have all been popular with mine too.
Turn the radio off when you are in the car and initiate a conversation.
You might be surprised how much they open up when they don’t feel pressured and they aren’t sitting facing you.
Learn more about things they are interested in, even if you have absolutely no interest in it.
Make some time for one on one activities.
Take them to get a smoothie or something, just the two of you.
Ask them how they want to connect with you and listen then do what they ask.
Check out the tips on The Thrifty Issue about how to get closer to your kids without spending a fortune.
With Parents
Depending on the age of your parents, their availability and yours, the relationship status and trauma, how you handle this might be different.
A phone call once a week, or a daily text message, even if it’s a picture of the kids or something funny you are doing can go a long way.
Create a family group everyone can message in/share photos etc.
Visit more often and make space for them to visit you.
But it’s also ok not to have them in your life if the relationship was abusive, traumatic etc. Read how to let go.
Friendships
All relationships, romantic, family and friendships should be evaluated to see how much effort you are putting in vs how much you receive and if it is healthy for you.
Many relationships can become one sided.
Not everyone is meant to be in our life forever, some are here for a reason, others for a season and only some for a lifetime.
Learning when to let go of friendships and how to do that is powerful.
If you want to connect deeper and create a better friendship and it is worth it to you:
Write a list of things you both enjoy then see if you can make time to do it.
Send them a message or sometime more than a meme.
Get them a nice gift or do something they would appreciate.
Make some cookies and take them over.
Learn more about them and what’s going on in their lives.
If you want to develop new friendships
This will require a bit more than a 1% effort.
Start speaking to other people at places you regularly go such as daycare, school etc.
Join a class about something you want to learn or enjoy doing and connect with people there.
Participate in community events, sign up for volunteering in a cause you are passionate about and chat with others there.
Education
Formal education such as diplomas and degrees are not the only form of education but that tends to be what people think of first.
Improving your knowledge is a great way to improve your life and it doesn’t have to be about getting a formal qualification.
Education applies to learning about any topic you want to know more on or learning any skill.
Here are a few ways to do that:
Read books relevant to the topics you want to educate yourself on e.g find my top 10 books on finance here.
Listen to podcasts or watch YouTube videos from experts in those fields.
Look up free education or self paced courses and choose one relevant to you.
Find a mentor you can learn from, someone who is skilled or experienced in what you want to know.
Use an app to learn e.g. Duolingo to learn languages.
Take action every day to do something towards learning more.
Mental Health
The world has changed drastically in my lifetime and we have all faced numerous events that no one could have predicted.
This, combined with the rising cost of living, changes in technology, careers, healthcare and other aspects of life is taking it’s toll on many.
How can you improve your mental health by even 1%?
This will vary greatly depending on where you are at in life, what you are facing etc.
A few things that helped me:
Getting outside more, especially early morning sunlight or the evening sunset.
Having my bloodwork done to check my levels then taking supplements and making small adjustments as recommended.
Drinking 2 to 4L water a day.
Stretching more.
Going for a little walk or doing 10 squats or something when I felt tired. Often I wasn’t tired, I had been sitting too long or was bored.
Reading more, even 1 page a day helped me.
Check out 7 things that helped my mental health and these 17 changes I made to get myself out of a rut.
Note: Professional help is available, support groups, helplines etc. I have accessed services and medication as needed so please don’t feel as though you have to face any mental health challenge alone or that the above things suggest they will fix it all.
The Mental Load
How can you reduce the mental load a little each day?
The things we are expected to remember, do and be are beyond anything we’ve ever seen before and it is exhausting.
There are things you can do to reduce your mental load. Remember, you can only control your life, not anyone else.
However, there are things you can do to help others in your home see what else needs to be done and reduce what you have to do.
Here are a few things you can do to reduce your mental load.
Automate anything you can. This goes from bills including your savings to buying a robot vacuum to do the floor. Read the 13 things I streamlined to help me.
Is there anything you can let go of and allow someone else to be responsible for it? If you have the time and energy, consider doing Fair Play (a book and deck of cards) with your partner if you have one. This can be eye opening for many but it is more than 1% effort.
Utilise meal kits and share the cooking. We rotate the discounts, my teenagers pick what we will eat and they cook 2 nights a week each. We have done this on and off since they were little.
Not having to meal plan, write the shopping list for those 4 to 6 meals and not shop for it drastically reduced my mental load and we discovered some great recipes.
Look at anything you can outsource and do it. Think about the chores you hate the most and how much time and energy you’d save if someone else did them.
Common things outsourced first include ironing, cleaning and yardwork.
You can outsource those small nagging jobs too such as cleaning out the rubbish bins, the gutters of the house, organising the garage shelf etc. Places such as Airtasker can be great for finding someone to do this.
Community
Do you want to be more involved in your community but lack the time, energy or motivation?
There are some little things you can do to help your community.
Donate a book to a little library or toys to the toy library.
Enter raffles, attend fetes and festivals that support your local area.
Shop local as much as possible, for example, go to the farmers market as a family.
Share content on social media from your community to help small businesses and causes you want to support.
Even if you can’t buy or donate, you can share on Facebook, Instagram etc.
If you have more time and energy then clearing out your items to donate, collecting specific items for certain charities (such as menstrual items for Share The Dignity) can help.
In fact, with Share The Dignity, you can simply add an item such as a pack of tampons or pads to your groceries and donate them on the way out of the store. Too easy.
Spirituality/Religion
Religion and spirituality is deeply personal, I am not going to tell you how to do it.
Most people find some sense of peace and a feeling of belonging through religion or some form of spirituality.
But some of the options come with lots of rules or feel too much.
How can you incorporate more spirituality or religion into your life?
Learn to have an attitude of gratitude, even listing 3 things at the end of the day that you are grateful for is a good start.
Read positive quotes, affirmations or if you are religious you could read a Bible verse. There are apps you can download for this too.
Meditate for 1 minute or longer in the morning.
Decide how you want to incorporate this into your life and what aspects you feel would benefit you then see how you can implement it on a small scale.