I’m a lover of productivity. For as long as I can remember, I’ve held myself to a high standard of “getting things done.”
The act of ticking items off a to-do list brings me immense satisfaction, fulfillment, value, and worth.
However, I’m currently challenging the notion that my worth is solely defined by what I accomplish. It’s time for me to reevaluate and appreciate productivity in a new way.
So, here’s my pitch: let’s flip the script on productivity. Instead of going big or going home, why not aim for small wins?
And yes, if you’ve followed us for any length of time, you’ll realize that does sound a lot like the Small Plates approach in Profit First. The key to success? Think big, but start small. Small changes lower the barrier to getting started, and if you make them small enough, you’re more likely to be successful. This means you’re more likely to actually develop a healthy habit that leads to successful change.
I was reminded of this during our interviews this month with Dan McCarthy and Jamie Mark. Both men run very successful businesses and are full of incredibly creative ideas, but neither one of them understands cash flow or profit. But by breaking the big picture down into usable small plates, they are making huge strides in their businesses.
Author James Clear has another way of thinking about it that resonates with a lot of my clients: the one percent better principle. To make big changes, you don’t need to start by taking big actions—you just need to be 1% better every day. And we all have that ability.
So let’s drop the idea that big strides demand big time and monumental effort. Start right where you are, with what you already have. And that, my friends, will lead to incredible results over time. Dan and Jamie are living proof.
If you’re struggling with your accounting or bookkeeping, need to develop some healthy new financial habits, or are simply curious about how Profit First can help your business, we’d love to help.
Rachel Siegel, CPA
rachel@gofigureaccounting.net
