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🚴‍♀️ How to break a 100 year losing streak

and how marginal gains create phenomenal results

Author

Kody Duncan
October 04, 2022

In 110 years, no British Cyclist had ever won the Tour de France. They failed miserably in the Olympics as well.

It was so bad, they even had an anti-sponsor - a European bike manufacturer who forbade the team from buying their bikes to avoid the embarrassment of any association with them at all.

Then Dave Brailsford showed up.

He was obsessed with “marginal gains” - the idea that becoming just 1% better in a everything you do would ultimately amount to massive results.

They tried and tested everything:

  • Massage gels for faster recovery

  • Pillows and mattresses for the most restful sleep

  • Most aerodynamic racing suits

  • Most comfortable bike seats

  • Even stopped shaking hands during competitions to avoid getting sick

  • Among literally HUNDREDS of other tiny changes

It took about 5 years to see the fruits of their labors, but the difference was nothing short of insane.

178 world championship wins.

66 Olympic (or Paralympic) gold medals.

5 Tour de France wins.

Yeah… wow.

So next time you think

  • waking up to your first alarm won’t matter,

  • or that a 10-minute workout is too short to be worth it,

  • or you think there’s nothing wrong with putting off that thing you’ve been meaning to do for another day (again)

You’re actually right. Kind of…

It won’t really make difference today.

But do that 1,000 days in a row, you’ll be surprised the person you become.

For better or worse, the little things do matter.

They just might even matter more than anything else.

Consider specific ways you could try to be 1% better in your life.

Make a short list, and start working from the top.

You might just start winning!

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If you keep doing what you are about to do today for the next five years, will you end up with more of what you want or less of what you want?

James Clear
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I want to be a bumblebee so I can sing!

Thanks for reading!

- Kody

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P.S. This is the most underrated Coldplay song.

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