One percent better every day. That’s the goal.
Today is the day after my birthday in 2021. I am 45 years old. As Jimmy Buffett proclaims, “I’m growing older but not up.”
To prove the point, I decided to celebrate – with my family – in the adult playground. Sin City. Las Vegas, Nevada.
This post is starting while we are sitting and waiting for the Jabbawockeez to take the stage at the MGM Grand. Earlier, we detoured to the Mac King Comedy Magic Show in Excalibur. If you like “dad jokes” then this is the show for you.
The kids and I try to out dad joke each other all the time, so the show was perfect for us. They are both at the stage of life where the slightly edgy adult humor (nothing offensive, it walked the right side of the line) was perfect. I even got to take the stage and show off my “penetration” skills. Older, not up.
Later, we’ll head over to New York, New York to ride the roller coaster. Well, the kids will. I’m too fat to feel comfortable on the ride.
Speaking of fat, somewhere between here and there, we will find some amazing food. It’s not time for that one percent, not yet.
And that brings me to trip number forty-six around the sun. I am going to set a goal of getting one percent better each day.
I first learned of the concept of one percent better from Atomic Habits by James Clear.
He points out that a one percent improvement is likely imperceptible. But that improvement compounds over time. In fact, if you accomplish a one percent improvement every day for a year, you’ll be 37 times better by the end of the year.
One percent improvements should be simple and small.
Today I actually tackled two things. First, and the least interesting, is tackling my dental hygiene. I’m just bad at it. I don’t think in my entire life I’ve gone 30 days in a row brushing my teeth. Yes, gross, I know.
Today, I brushed twice. That is a small improvement, and, as long as I don’t break the chain, a sustainable one.
Second, I decided to be more present in the moment and more present with my family. That one is a little harder than it sounds. Being present, especially with an anxiety disorder, is a challenge by itself. Second, the challenge with being present with the family is not only my own personal busy-ness, but getting two teenage boys to be present with me.
Today was a success.
As I finish this post laying in bed at the Bellagio, I expected to be exhausted. After the Jabbawockeez show (which, was much better than I expected), Cole was a little panicked with the roller coaster. Cameron was a calming big brother influence for him.
When they came off, he proclaimed that he had “cheated death.” They soared above the strip in the sharp air (a toasty 39 degrees at ride time) and were both smiling ear to ear.
Then, a long walk to Houdini’s – a magic shop in the Miracle Mile Shops. Every time I go to Vegas, I stop in there to get a cool magic lesson and trick for the boys. I was excited to show them the shop. But, alas, as we rounded the corner past the V-Theater and Blondie’s sports store, we had a sad realization. Houdini’s had vanished.
But it didn’t matter, we were on the adventure together. We finished by crossing the strip back to the Bellagio.
As we spent a few minutes braving the bitter breeze, the Ronettes winter classic ‘Sleigh Ride’ played over the speaker as the Bellagio fountains leaped to life.
It was the perfect ending for the day.
Today, I was at least one percent better.
