The Power of Incremental Gains: Applying Continuous Improvement

Good day, good readers 😊! On the heels of working on a new design and some imagery for the Albion watch, I revisited some imagery I had previously made for the Harold Pinchbeck Lindum watch I designed some time ago. This is not going to be a long blog post, just a really brief post on the principle and theory of ‘incremental gains’, and how it can be used and seen in many aspects of our life. Working on these images yesterday, almost by accident but of course not entirely, several things came to mind; the first being that these images I am working on will be improved, and the other is how I had previously thought the images I had produced several months ago were finished, but yet there I was working on them again to improve them – the natural result of incremental/marginal gains?

An Improved Image of the Lindum Watch:

I mentioned above that this was ‘almost by accident’. What I mean by that is the reasoning for me working on the older images was caused, I believe, by the fact that just a week ago I had been working on the images of my new design – the Albion Watch. While working on these images, you run through a process of setting the scene, lighting the scene, running through some post-editing, and then finally viewing the end result to see if you like it. After going through this process and having a nice finished result for the Albion watch, at some point my mind reflects back on some older imagery for the Lindum watch, and ruminates about how it can be improved using similar lighting and backdrops to the newer Albion watch images.

So yes, I guess you could say here I have applied the principle of incremental or marginal gain. So what is the principle, or theory, of incremental or marginal gains? The process of reflection and the concept of ‘incremental gains’ are deeply intertwined, forming a symbiotic relationship that drives continuous improvement. Incremental gains, as a theory, focuses on making small, incremental improvements over time, rather than dramatic overhauls. This approach allows for steady progress and encourages individuals or organizations to reflect on their performance, identify areas for development, and implement small, manageable changes. Through this methodical process, one can strive for continuous growth and development, leading to long-term success and improvements in almost any aspect of life, or self, you apply it to.

A Comparison between Images:

So to put it simply: If you look to improve yourself or something in any aspect by just a small % each day, over time of applying this principle, you or it will have incrementally improved by multiples of your % by compounding.

Or to put it another way, if you look to just smile or say hello to one person each day, over one year you will have a lot of people smiling and saying hello back😊. We will also maybe have other incidental benefits of being more comfortable saying hello to people and feeling better in our mood. Of course, this is just one small and cheeky example, but worth doing nonetheless.

One of the most noteworthy and famous stories of the principle of incremental gains being applied is the story of Sir Dave Brailsford taking over the management of the British cycling team in 2002. Up until Sir Dave Brailsford took over, the team had experienced pretty much no success. Brailsford and the British cycling team’s approach to the principle of marginal gains in 2002 revolutionized the sport. Brailsford implemented a philosophy that focused on making small improvements in every aspect of performance, from optimizing the athletes’ gear and nutrition to enhancing their training methods and even the pillows they used; no detail was too small to be overlooked. This meticulous attention to incremental advancements propelled the team to unprecedented success, reshaping the paradigm of professional cycling. The story serves as a compelling example of how a commitment to marginal gains can lead to remarkable overall improvement.

That is it for this post. I hope you enjoyed the read😊.

Have a great day everyone!

Kind regards, Jay