5% More

Making Small Changes to Achieve Extraordinary Results

Wiley, 2016

15 min read

10 take-aways

Audio & text

What's inside?

Putting in 5% more effort – just a little extra work over time – can lead to big results.

1×

Editorial Rating

Qualities

Innovative
Applicable
Overview

Recommendation

Most people want to be wealthier, smarter, stronger, faster, healthier and happier. To that end, marketer and entrepreneur Michael Alden discusses how putting forth only 5% more effort in every area can create lasting change toward achieving your goals. He warns that, often, people either don’t act, or they try to grow by leaps and bounds instead of taking smaller, incremental steps. But, Alden assures you, putting in a little more effort can lead to big results. He constantly refers to himself and his associates as examples of how to succeed in various areas, so the self-promotion can become a little tiresome, but getAbstract believes it shouldn’t detract from his overall, helpful and optimistic message: putting in a little effort can lead to big results.

Summary

Becoming 5% More Motivated

Many people want a better life, but they fail to improve their lot due to a variety of reasons, such as unrealistic expectations or lack of action. They dream, but they don’t act. Successful people are doers. Perhaps you are a 200-pound man who wants to lose 5% of your overall body weight. If your usual workout routine is 30 minutes a day, three times a week, just add 5% more minutes to your workout and increase your intensity by 5%. If you’re in a spinning class, “go 5% harder for 5% more of the time.” You might not actually lose 5% of your body weight, but you’ll be actively working toward your goal. Reduce your caloric intake by 5%, and you will lose weight.

To get 5% more results, hold yourself accountable. Start with your daily activities. Be honest with yourself about what you want to accomplish. Write down your daily and weekly goals. If you lead a team, write down daily and weekly goals for your team. Show your team members the numbers so they understand their accomplishments and can make incremental adjustments. Be realistic. Some managers set lofty goals and get upset when employees don’t achieve them. Ideally, individuals ...

About the Author

Michael Alden is the founder and CEO of Blue Vase® Marketing, a direct-response firm that helps companies with marketing.

Comment on this summary

Sign in to share your opinion
J. M. 4 years ago

good stuff
S. G. 6 years ago

Doing 5 % more with positive activities and doing 5% less with negative activities for me is a do-able great idea.

The author presents this idea in a motivating and convincing manner.

The 2 questions to ask myself after reading this helpful summary are

What does doing 5% more or less look like in the activities that are beneficial and harmful?

And when do I start?

Michael Alden