*1% MARGINAL GAINS RULE A.K.A.

MICROEXCELLENCE*

People who are mentally tough and successful at what they do, understand that the cumulative effect
of small changes leads to significant outcomes.

And while they set out with big goals, they improve using systematic and surgical precision.

In my 30 years of researching, I’ve found that most of us set big goals, but we try and tackle them all
at once because we want immediate results — and invariably, end up failing.

*THE 1% MARGINAL GAINS RULE*

Sir Dave Brailsford, former performance director of British Cycling, revolutionized the sport using
the theory of marginal gains.

Brailsford believed that if you make a 1% improvement in a host of tiny areas, the cumulative
benefits would be extraordinary. The theory of marginal gains has been credited for vaulting the
British cycling team from a mediocre performer to 16 gold medals over two Olympics and seven Tour
de France wins in eight years.

*EVERY LITTLE DETAIL COUNTS*

Brailsford had the floors of the team truck painted pristine white to spot dust on the floor because
even the slightest amount of dust could potentially impair bike maintenance.

The Tour de France is a 21-day race of gruelling distances and climbs that saps every ounce of energy
and strength from its riders. During the race, the cyclists slept in 21 different hotels, each with
different beds and pillows.

When you are riding six hours a day for three weeks straight, the slightest deprivation of rest can
make a significant difference in performance. Brailsford had the team bus carry custom-designed
mattresses and pillows for each rider, which were set up in each athlete’s room so that the elements of
rest and recovery were controlled and not left to chance.

“Perhaps the most powerful benefit is that it creates a contagious enthusiasm, everyone starts looking
for ways to improve. There’s something inherently rewarding about identifying marginal gains — the
bonhomie is similar to a scavenger hunt.” Brailsford said in a 2015 interview with Harvard Business
Review.

As this thinking became a culture and a philosophy shared by all members of Brailsford’s team, they
kept searching for any and every area where they could make tiny improvements. Their goal was a
marginal or 1% gain in every aspect of their training and environment.

Individually, each incremental change may have seemed unnecessary or random, but collectively,
they helped create a powerhouse with a level of success that became the envy of the cycling world.