What Dr. Justin Sung and James Clear Taught Me About Marginal Gains
The New Way I Look at Skill Development
Key Takeaways:
·      Marginal gains is the view that aggregating multiple 1% improvements in various domains can lead to greater total improvement than inconsistent bursts of effort
·      Because we are leveraging consistency and micro-improvements, some of our gains over the long term will be through compound interest—meaning things improve with consistently applying the same habits rather than adding something novel to cause every additive gain
I remember crying out of frustration in middle school and high school when it came to sports. I so desperately wanted to be a state-level or national level runner. I, unfortunately, did not have what it took at the time. While my adolescent angst has died down since then, I still catch myself deeply frustrated over the progress I make in various pursuits. Unless I found some key magic bullet to take my performance to the next level, I thought I was doomed to plateau forever.
My perspective shifted once I was exposed to the concept of marginal gains through resources from Dr. Justin Sung1 and James Clear.
How does it shatter my preconceived notions of Improvement?
Consistent small improvements matter far more than large, additive, and incremental changes. Because, in general, aggregating multiple 1% improvements can lead to more significant total effects than inconsistent bursts of effort. 30-day challenge may seem drastic and incredible, yet it may not lead to the kind of long-term change that a two-year challenge can do. Hence, small disciplines done across an extended period can lead to significant improvements over a considerable period.2
For example, this podcast/newsletter sprung out of a daily habit/discipline. From the beginning of my gap year, I challenged myself to write for an hour 5 days a week. In the beginning, it was mostly for my secondary essays for medical school. Afterward, it was consolidating what I would read. Now, it’s for the newsletter. Simultaneously, I started a new habit of speaking to 2 new people a month to have an exciting conversation. The habit fuels my current podcast.
What is the central takeaway from this model of skill development? Focus on tiny habits you can accomplish consistently and be satisfied with marginal gains you make. Recognize that while the gains may be marginal over the short time frame, the cumulative effect will be noticeable.
To learn more about marginal gains in habit formation or social interactions, consider reading these following resources:
https://jamesclear.com/marginal-gains
https://www.navalmanack.com/almanack-of-naval-ravikant/play-long-term-games-with-long-term-people
I even used this model of development to help lose weight during the pandemic. To hear more about this, consider listening to the 30 min mark of this episode of the podcast!