The Anvil | Issue #082825

The 1% Framework That Changes Everything

Happy Thursday Morning

Remember that "laughably small" starting point I mentioned on Tuesday?

Here it is: 1%.

I know what you're thinking. ‘Seriously…I came here for transformation, not math class.’ But stick with me, because this simple framework has quietly revolutionized more lives than any motivational speech or 90-day challenge ever could.

The 1% Framework isn't about doing 1% better once. It's about doing 1% better in one specific area, every single day, for the rest of your life. And here's the part that'll blow your mind: 1% better every day for a year doesn't make you 365% better. Because of compound interest, it makes you 3,778% better.

But that's just numbers on a page. Let me show you 4 examples of what this looks like in the real world.

You don't start by running a marathon. You start by putting on your running shoes every morning for a week, even if you don't run. That's it. Week two, you walk to the mailbox in those shoes. Week three, maybe you jog to the corner. The goal isn't the distance—it's becoming the type of person who shows up consistently. Your body will follow your identity, but your identity is forged in the smallest moments.

You don't start by reading the entire Bible in 30 days. You start by opening it for 60 seconds every morning. One verse. One prayer. One moment of surrender. The men and women who become unshakeable in their faith aren't the ones who had the most dramatic conversion experience. They're the ones who showed up in the quiet moments when no one was watching, day after day, building a relationship with the Almighty through the discipline of small faithfulness.

You don't fix a marriage with grand gestures. You fix it by asking one genuine question every day: "How was your day?" and then actually listening to the answer. You become an incredible parent not by planning elaborate adventures, but by being fully present for five minutes every evening, putting your phone down and looking your children in the eyes when they speak.

You don't become wealthy by waiting for the perfect investment or the big break. You become wealthy by gaining one dollar more than you did yesterday. By reading one page about money. By making one phone call to ask about that opportunity. The millionaire isn't the person who hit the lottery—they're the person who did the boring work of compound growth for decades.

Here's how to implement the 1% Framework into your life starting today:

Step 1: Pick Your Foundation

Choose ONE area of your life that, if improved, would impact everything else. Not three areas. Not "I want to get in shape AND fix my marriage AND start a business." One area. The discipline you build in one arena will spill into all the others, but trying to transform everything at once is how good people stay stuck.

Step 2: Define Your 1%

Make it so small that you literally cannot fail. If you want to get in shape, don't commit to an hour at the gym. Commit to 10 push-ups. If you want to deepen your faith, don't commit to an hour of prayer. Commit to reading one verse. If you want to improve your marriage, don't commit to date nights every week. Commit to one genuine compliment every day.

Step 3: Stack Your Success

Here's the secret sauce: attach your 1% to something you already do religiously. Drink coffee every morning? Read your verse before the first sip. Check your phone when you wake up? Do your push-ups first. Brush your teeth every night? Give your spouse that compliment right after.

Step 4: Track Your Foundation

Get a calendar. Mark an X for every day you complete your 1%. The goal is simple: don't break the chain. This isn't about perfection—it's about consistency. Miss a day? Don't miss two. The power is in the comeback, not the streak.

The genius of 1% isn't that it's easy (though it is). The genius is that it's sustainable. You're not white-knuckling your way through another failed New Year's resolution. You're becoming a different person, one small choice at a time.

Most people fail because they try to change their life in 30 days. Undeniable men and women understand that transformation happens in 3,000 days of small, consistent choices.

I mentioned my own journey, remembering when I ignored this principle—chasing the shiny object, trying to skip steps, looking for shortcuts. Those seasons led to frustration, wasted resources, and honestly, some painful failures that I'm still learning from.

But also, every breakthrough happened when I humbled myself enough to start small, to honor the foundation, to do the work when nobody was applauding.

Tomorrow, I'm going to share the story of someone who used this exact framework to go from broken and bankrupt to becoming someone that now looks into a mirror with pride. But I'll warn you now—their story isn't pretty at the beginning. Sometimes the mirror shows us things we don't want to see.

Your Spiritual Blacksmith,

Myriac | The Undeniable Man™