This refrain is repeated over a dozen times in the first season of HEROES:
Save the Cheerleader,
Save the World
That character had the superpower of physical invulnerability.
No matter what her injury, she pretty much instantly healed.
Back when HEROES was on the air and I was teaching lots of yoga, I used to playfully reference that line whenever I taught Hanuman––the full ballet split.
Secretly, I felt uncomfortable putting everyone into such an uncomfortable position.
And yet, I knew that nothing opens up the hamstrings as effectively…provided you are sensitive, progressing in the tiniest increments.
(Please note: avoid hamstring tears at all costs!)
Even though I’m devoting this month to breakthrough experiences, it’s important to remember this paradox:
Sometimes you can only achieve the Big Breakthrough––that elusive Quantum Leap––by progressing one tiny step at a time.
Here’s the thing: Getting just 1 percent better a day really adds up.
Atomic Habits demonstrates that if you improve something just 1 percent each day for one year, you’ll end up 37 times better off than when you started.
For me, to get into a full cheerleader-level split and NOT tear anything took at least a year (probably two) of almost daily work.
Sometimes, it was only three to five breaths in a very awkward, non-cheerleader level split, but it was steady and consistent.
And eventually, it got attainable, even effortless.
I’m applying the same thing with my writing these days, particularly the seven-part course I’m completing that’s both inspiring and seemingly endless.
To minimize discouragement, every time I write for a single 26-minute session, I add a paperclip to this jar.
This way, whenever I descend into thinking “this will never get done,” I’ve got a visual reminder in front of me about how far I’ve actually progressed.
I created a prop to remind myself about the power of steady, just 1% better daily progress.
That’s the thing that somehow got me into a full split.
And ultimately, that’s the paradox behind quantum leap breakthroughs: sometimes they happen only through 1% daily improvement.
Remembering that, you can achieve almost anything.
Namaste for Now,
