Years ago, I read The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, in which he was talking about a rule that had changed the lives of many people and made them incredibly successful.
I am convinced that this idea, called the 100-percent Rule (or ‘No Exception Rule’), makes the difference between success and failure.
This simple idea has helped me improve every aspect of my life. Including starting my own business, running the half-marathon, learning good habits, improving my relationships, as well as succeeding in everything I set my mind to.
My coaching clients are usually blown away when I teach them how to use this simple, but powerful, tool to get ‘unstuck’ and create success they never thought would be possible.
It’s an easily applicable rule for everyone, from CEOs to home-makers, employees or university students.
Regardless of what it is you want to be successful in, without doubt the 100-percent Rule will help you achieve it. Keep reading and I will give you a step-by-step guide on how to create extraordinary personal or business success by using this simple technique.
What is The 100-percent Rule? And how can it make you successful?
In a nutshell, you choose one goal and you ‘go all in’ to achieve it. Don’t hold yourself back. Don’t overthink. Forget procrastination. Commit yourself fully and wholeheartedly to achieve it as if your life depended on it. Guess what, your life might depend on it.
99-percent means almost ….
Some people don’t think that being successful requires 100-percent effort all the time. They’re okay with putting in less effort, 99-percent for example. It is almost 100-percent, after all.
The emphasis is on almost. 99-percent is something like:
- going to the gym twice even though you decided to go at least three times every week (for getting in shape by your summer vacation)
- drinking cocktail only at your friends’ birthday party when you decided to stop drinking alcohol and sugary drinks altogether (for losing 15 lbs. by Christmas)
- smoking one cigarette only on special occasions even if you decided to quit smoking forever (for preventing lung cancer that has a history in your family)
- submitting your quarterly report to your boss on Wednesday when you decided to finish and hit send on Monday (for meeting an important deadline)
- waking up 6:30 am when you decided to make a habit of getting up 5:30 am (for establishing a morning routine)
And the list could go on and on…
Don’t get me wrong! These accomplishments are indeed fantastic, but they sound a lot like coming from someone who is almost successful.
Think about it. People who are not fully committed just waste a lot of time, money, and energy on something they may or may not achieve. Any effort less than 100-percent is exhausting. It consumes energy without producing guaranteed results. And it’s also stressful.
That 1-percent that makes all the difference
This 1-percent difference between 100-percent effort and only 99-percent is what makes the difference between
- success and failure;
- being interested and being committed;
- ‘you did it’ and ‘you almost did it’, or
- you feeling like a failure or feeling like a superhuman.
So, the question is not whether you did better than your previous self or someone who didn’t make any commitment whatsoever.
The real question is: Do you feel you succeeded, or you feel you could have succeeded?
I am not saying that we shouldn’t appreciate small victories. You definitely shouldn’t feel like a failure when you weren’t able to go to the gym every day this week or you had a drink at your best friend’s wedding.
What I’m trying to explain is that to achieve great success, you have to strive for 100-percent all the time. When you commit your 100-percent effort to something, you will succeed without fail. You will live up to your full potential.
To prove this, I did an experiment!
100-percent is simple
The first time I heard about the rule, I decided to put it to the test. I looked at my life and realized there is one thing I could never fully commit myself to and that was exercising every day. I never understood how others can go to the gym, or run, or do whatever they do every single day. Daily exercise seemed monotone, repetitive and exhausting.
On the other hand, I had to accept that my workout routine didn’t provide the desired results. I didn’t lose the weight I wanted; I didn’t have toned muscles; and my running pace hasn’t improved for a long time either.
On top of everything, I was facing constant struggle. I had to fight against my brain every single time to get dressed and go to the gym or for a run. I let my brain quite often talk me out of doing the whole thing, coming up with various, creative excuses. This was exhausting.
How the 100-percent rule helped me be successful
Long story short, I decided that I’m going to exercise minimum one hour, six times a week, for 90 days to get in shape and run the half-marathon.
Besides committing myself fully to the process, to increase the likelihood of success, I
- listed the types of exercises that would boost my strength,
- set aside an hour and a half to exercise every morning 6:00 to 7:30 am,
- downloaded upbeat music on my phone,
- read tons of articles about how to improve my running pace,
- got a free, 12-week half-marathon training plan, and
- bought a new pair of running shoes.
When the first obstacles came along (i.e. didn’t want to get out of the bed), and trust me they did come incessantly, I reminded myself that my decision is non-negotiable.
Removing the daily decision making of ‘whether or not I should exercise today’ helped me enormously. It took off an enormous burden of my shoulder.
While it was simple, it wasn’t always easy. I had to drag myself through several difficulties, setbacks and inertia. But because I committed myself 100-percent to the process none of these was insurmountable.
The whole process became more and more effortless. I didn’t need to fight against my brain every morning. I just woke up early, got dressed, put my earbuds in and off I went. Every time I finished, I felt better than ever.
I felt strong, determined, and successful.
The 100-percent commitment made it easy to stick with the plan. It didn’t allow any hesitation or excuses, the loopholes our brain uses to avoid doing a hard task. It was easy to get in the right state of mind for exercising every day.
Steps you can take to be more successful
I encourage you to try the 100-percent rule for yourself. This simple technique will change your life and make you successful in everything.
Here, you can find the steps that, if you take consistently, will help you achieve extraordinary success, whether it is in your career, business, or personal life.
You can apply these steps to anything, be it large or small.
- Choose one thing that you always wanted to achieve success in it. If you’re ready, it can as big as starting your own business. But don’t put a huge pressure on yourself first though. Start with something seemingly small like breaking the habit of looking at your social media feed thousand times a day; writing a journal entry every day; reading one chapter every night before bed; or getting up 10 minutes earlier every day.
- Decide to give nothing less than your 100-percent effort. Decide that you will ignore every excuse and dismiss any hesitation when they come.
- Make sure you have a plan, so you’re prepared for taking on the challenge.
- Stick with the plan long enough to start seeing the results.
- Be proud and enjoy what you’ve accomplished.
- Repeat this exercise with other important things in your life.
Remember: While 99-percent is hard, 100-percent will be surprisingly easy.
