Save More than You Spend

It’s a simple principle, but we don’t always follow it. At the end of each month, after all of your bills are paid, all of your discretionary income spent, and all of your groceries purchased, you want to have earned more money than you spent.

Anything less is unsustainable — you’ll be broke. Breaking even keeps you out of trouble but there’s nothing upon which you can build. But if a certain amount makes it to your savings account each month, these small gains will eventually turn into greater improvements later in life — whether you invest in a small business, buy the house of your dreams, send your children through college, or all of the above!

This principle — making small gains daily — extends far beyond your financial circumstances.

When it comes to functional fitness, sports biomechanics, nutrition, and mental edge, making small gains daily not only leads to greater long-term improvement, it also keeps you fresh and able to perform.

Getting Better Every Day and Less Is More

In this space, we’ve talked about getting better every day — the idea that no matter your sport or the desired result of your training, you can control improvement by targeting one item to improve each day. We’ve also talked about the importance of less is more, both in the amount as well as in the depth of training — overwork can lead to diminishing returns and burnout.

Putting these two ideas together, an athlete should endeavor toward making small gains everyday to win. By focusing on little improvements everyday, you will simultaneously make greater long-term improvements and you won’t burn out with overtraining.

Small Financial Gains, Small Athletic Improvements

So what does small improvements mean? First off, it means measurable actions. Workout within the limits of your body and you will see small gains daily, whether it’s an extra rep, an extra lap, smarter fluid intake, or spending that extra second on your mental acuity.

Too often, athletes work out hoping to make large gains too quickly. They want to cut minutes off of a run instead of seconds, add multiple reps on the bench instead of one. Some athletes want to add weight and overeat to meet their goals. Others stay up all night studying plays. Such regimens overextend the body and mind, leaving it prone to injuries.

Think of your training like your finances: you want to finish each workout having realized a small gain. That gain will result in, over time, greater improvement and less exhaustion. If you make small gains in your savings account each month, eventually you are in a place to invest and make large gains in your life. The same applies with your work in functional fitness, sports biomechanics, nutrition, and mental edge.

Have any questions about your workout plan? Let us know! We’d love to discuss a long-term approach with you!