Marginal gains

Brother Suhail

A Northerner navigating life in the rain, wind and snow!
Not afraid to speak about his mental health.

We do not need a new year to begin again. We just need to look for where we can make those micro changes. So today, not tomorrow, not next month, let’s choose one small act. One shift. One 1%. Let it be the seed that helps us grow in to the person we long to be.

Last month, I witnessed two worlds side by side.
The passing of a friend’s father, shrouded in memories, now laid to rest, leaving behind loved ones with the sting of grief. And the wedding of a friend, sitting on the stage of a new beginning, promises being made and hopes rising like dawn.
Life teaches us through contrast. One book closes and another opens. And we are caught in between, trying to hold on to these golden blessings as they slip softly through our fingers.
The Almighty Allah swears by time (Quran 103:1). To remind us of the fragility of life. Every breath, every interaction, every companionship is a gift. Every moment an opportunity. Change is only time bound until our last breath is taken. It is not bound by a calendar month. A resolution. Or a firework display.
So why do we wait? Why do we tell ourselves we will begin in the New Year, when we can begin in the here and now?
I’ve come to realise that real growth rarely comes from grand statements or Eureka moments but through the quiet changes. The 1%. Those small acts that, over time, reshape us. We often underestimate how tiny adjustments, done consistently, can lead to transformation. But if you total those changes, cumulatively, they have the power to help us towards being the best versions of ourselves. And because they are subtle, they are easier to sustain.
It may be choosing to sleep earlier. To wake earlier. To drink more water. To walk for ten minutes. To say “I’m sorry.” Or to finally say, ‘This boundary matters.’ It is allowing ourselves, gently, to be human. To fall. To stand up again. To let Allah see our brokenness rather than chasing perfection, because He does not seek us to be flawless. 
So what is the 1% I do today?
For me, it is learning to manage the turbulence life throws, writing a simple few lines a day about what I am grateful for has helped compartmentalise difficulty. It seems effortless, but it also allows me to identify Allah’s blessings that I often take for granted. On a sensory level it helps to me feel his mercy ever-present in my life, not matter hard things get. For me, gratitude or shukr sits at the foundation of recovery.
Where is your 1% hidden?
Is it a step toward healthier living. Emotional clarity. Nurturing your soul. Initiating contact with someone you miss. Spending five minutes daily in silence. Letting yourself feel instead of going numb. Or giving yourself permission to finally rest?
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We do not need a new year to begin again. We just need to look for where we can make those micro changes. So today, not tomorrow, not next month, let’s choose one small act. One shift. One 1%. Let it be the seed that helps us grow in to the person we long to be.