All of us want faster progress, but most "quick results" promises are mirages. Here's a proven approach I learned from former strongman Nic Peterson that transformed how I approach goals.

Most people follow a familiar pattern when pursuing goals. Take a new diet's first week:

Monday: 100% - Perfect execution, high enthusiasm Tuesday: 90% - Small slip, still strong Wednesday: 70% - Reality hits Thursday: 90% - Overcompensating for yesterday Friday: 60% - Weekend temptations begin Saturday: 50% - Social pressure wins Sunday: 40% - "I'll start fresh tomorrow" mindset

The Key to Faster Progress

Instead of pushing your best days to perfection ("raising the ceiling"), focus on improving your worst days ("raising the floor"). This approach yields better results with less effort.

Think of school grades: Moving from 90% to 100% requires immense effort, while improving from 50% to 60% is relatively easier. This principle applies to all goals.

Applying the Floor-Raising Strategy

Using our diet example, instead of striving for more perfect days, set a minimum acceptable performance level. By ensuring no day drops below 60%, you'll see better weekly results than pushing your good days to 100%:

• Setting a 60% floor: 75.7% weekly average
• Setting a 65% floor: 77.8% weekly average

This improvement comes with less strain and higher consistency than trying to achieve perfect days.

Why It Works

The floor-raising strategy:

• Requires less willpower
• Creates sustainable progress
• Reduces frustration
• Builds consistent habits

While it's tempting to focus on perfecting your best performances, improving your worst days leads to faster, more sustainable progress with less struggle. Review your current goals and identify opportunities to raise your floor – the results will convince you to never approach progress the same way again.

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