From Exhaustion to Empowerment: How High Achievers Can Reclaim Energy with the 1% Mindset

Victoria Canham • 20 November 2024 • 4 min read

“The 1% mindset isn’t about grand gestures; it’s about the small, consistent actions that change your trajectory over time.” - Steven Bartlett

Last week, we uncovered a truth that ambitious professionals often ignore: your health isn’t a luxury; it’s the foundation of your success. But when you’re already running on fumes, the idea of making big changes can feel like adding fuel to the fire of your exhaustion.

That’s why this week, we’re not talking about overhauls or impossible goals. Instead, let’s focus on incremental improvements—the kind of changes that fit into your life, work with your current energy levels, and still create momentum.

What is the 1% Mindset?

At its core, the 1% mindset is simple: make one small improvement daily or weekly in key areas of your life. These micro-adjustments might seem insignificant at first, but over time, their impact compounds. Imagine improving by just 1% each week for a year—that’s over 50% better by the end of it.

The 1% Mindset is not about perfection or giant leaps; it’s about progress. And progress and high performance go hand in hand.

Why the 1% Mindset Works

For high performers, the temptation to aim for big wins can often lead to burnout, procrastination, or frustration. The 1% mindset shifts the focus to sustainable growth by breaking down goals into achievable steps.

Here’s why it’s so effective:

It Feels Achievable: Tackling one small change at a time is far less intimidating than trying to transform everything all at once.

It Builds Confidence: Regular small wins remind you that progress is happening, keeping you motivated and in control.

It Creates Resilience: Consistency strengthens your ability to adapt and overcome challenges, even when results aren’t immediately visible.

It Prevents Burnout: By focusing on steady progress, you avoid the exhaustion that comes with sprinting towards unrealistic goals.

Why Small Wins Matter More Than Big Changes

When you’re overwhelmed, the last thing you need is another “massive transformation” plan. These often fail because they demand too much, too soon. The 1% mindset is different: it’s about identifying tiny, sustainable shifts that feel doable—even on your hardest days.

Small wins don’t drain you; they energise you. They create a ripple effect, giving you the confidence to take the next small step, and then the next.

Start Where You Are

To work with your exhaustion rather than against it, focus on these principles:

Accept Your Current Capacity:
Stop judging yourself for feeling drained. Exhaustion isn’t a sign of failure—it’s a signal that something needs adjusting. Start by identifying one area where you feel most depleted, whether it’s sleep, nutrition, movement, or emotional energy.
Choose One Small Action:
Pick a tiny, manageable step that you can commit to daily. Think:
- Going to bed 10 minutes earlier.
- Drinking an extra glass of water.
- Spending two minutes breathing deeply before meetings.
The goal isn’t to fix everything—it’s to build momentum.
Track and Celebrate Progress:
Keep track of your small wins, no matter how insignificant they might seem. Write them down at the end of the day or reflect on them mentally. Noticing progress—even tiny progress—helps shift your mindset from exhaustion to empowerment.

Practical 1% Improvements for Health and Energy

Here are a few micro-actions tailored to high achievers:

Sleep:

😴😴 Create a wind-down ritual—even if it’s just dimming the lights and putting your phone away for 10 minutes before bed.

😴😴 Shift your bedtime forward by 5 minutes each night until you reach an ideal time.

Nutrition:

🥗🥗 Add one serving of vegetables to your plate. (an extra serving, not one total - I see you).

🥗🥗 Replace one caffeinated drink with water or herbal tea (if tea is your vibe).

Movement:

🏃🏽‍♂️🏃🏽‍♂️ Stretch for 30 seconds after sitting at your desk for an hour (trust me, back surgery is not much fun).

🏃🏽‍♂️🏃🏽‍♂️ Walk for 5 minutes during lunch or between calls.

Emotional Energy:

⚡️⚡️ Write down one thing you’re grateful for each morning.

⚡️⚡️ Take 30 seconds to consciously relax your shoulders and unclench your jaw.

Why It Works

These micro-changes don’t require hours of effort or a major shift in priorities, but they signal to your brain that you’re prioritising yourself. Over time, these actions accumulate, improving your physical and mental energy without adding stress to your plate.

Your Path to Sustainable Success

If you’re ambitious and exhausted, the solution isn’t to push harder—it’s to pivot. Reclaiming your health doesn’t mean sacrificing your goals; it means redefining how you approach them.

Start with just one small step today. Your future self will thank you.

👉 Ready to take this further? Let’s create a personalised plan that helps you achieve more with less effort. Book a complimentary tactical call to get started and let’s turn exhaustion into empowerment, one step at a time.

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Prone to insomnia, he has taken part in numerous sleep experiments and tested every remedy going. The result is a radical, four-week programme, based on the latest science, designed to help you re-establish a healthy sleep pattern in record time.

With plenty of surprising recommendations - including tips for teenagers, people working night shifts and those prone to jet lag - plus recipes which will boost your deep sleep by improving your gut microbiome, Fast Asleep provides the tools you need to sleep better, reduce stress and feel happier.

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Victoria Canham - Your Performance Partner

Victoria is an ICF-accredited certified professional coach, who offers personalised performance coaching. With a background in change management and countless hours of professional coaching training and experience, I made the big switch to full-time coaching in 2020. I know what it is like to suddenly have the rug pulled out from under you while you're busy making other plans, as a result, I now help people like you to bounce back from adversity and major setbacks to emerge stronger and better than ever before. Our clients have transformed from feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges to confident, goal-driven individuals who navigate life's obstacles with ease. They've achieved their personal and professional objectives and embodied peak performance in all aspects of life. You too can experience this transformation. This is your moment. Your chance to take control, to choose growth over stagnation, achievement over inaction. This is your opportunity to prove to yourself that you're not defined by your challenges—you're defined by how you rise above them. Are you ready to transform your life and achieve peak performance?