Have you ever heard of the 1 Percent Rule? 

Essentially, the gist is that over time, if you adjust something by just 1 percent, you’ll see a significant change. Now, you might not see it at first … but eventually, little by little, something will be different. It’s all about being slightly better. 

Perhaps this looks like running one more minute on the treadmill or drinking one more glass of water each day. Both will benefit your body and neither requires that much more effort.

What if you take this philosophy and apply it to your spiritual life? What could that look like? 

Maybe it’s reading one more chapter each week, fasting just a little bit longer than you did previously, learning one more song on your musical instrument of choice, or sending one more card to someone who needs an uplift that month. 

None of these things take a significant amount of time—and if we’re being honest, they probably don’t take a significant amount of effort, either. 

And yet, consider the impact they could have!

Perhaps that extra chapter you read becomes the topic of Sunday’s lesson that you teach. Maybe the additional hour you refrain from food provides the answer you were hoping to receive during your time of prayer. Could it be that the new song you learn or card you send might be just what someone down in spirit could need? 

And it’s all a result of the 1 Percent Rule!

As the Song of Zion says, “Climb higher for the pasture is much sweeter there.”

Let’s not be stagnant in our service, but rather reaching for remarkable moments—moments that we can attribute to just that little bit more that we aspire to and that much better. 

Nothing is invisible to the Lord; He sees everything we do. One more prayer whispered means one more prayer answered; one more dollar donated means one more church cause completed. 

The truth is, it doesn’t take much to make a difference. If we are making changes individually, think of what we could do as a church body if we collectively improve by 1 percent. 

It’s these seemingly small moments that are actually big moments. When we include the Lord an extra 1 percent, the blessings will be bountiful. 

What small change will you commit to making today? 

“And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.” (1 Nephi 16:29)

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.