I just spent a weekend camping with ten friends, hosting what we’ve been calling our DIY meditation retreat. I’d wanted to do a 10-day retreat, but that didn’t feel possible right now. So instead, I invited some new friends to join me for the weekend.
Most of us met through a weekly meditation group I’ve been attending for the past couple of months. Though I’ll admit I didn’t know most of them very well. We’d maybe traded a few words after a sit, and that was about it. But I was excited to find other people who loved the idea of spending a weekend in nature, sitting together in meditation, listening to birdsong, and talking about how we want to grow.
In such a hyper-online world, there’s something deeply nourishing about leaving work at home, putting the phone away, and sitting around a fire sharing stories. By the end of the weekend, we all felt more connected to each other and to the woods around us. It’s amazing that in just two days, I went from barely knowing most of the group to considering them good friends. And none of us did anything dramatic. We simply felt safe enough to show up a little more openly than usual.
One idea kept coming up in conversation: asking ourselves for just 10% more. I’ve been working on a daily meditation practice for about four months and really struggle with consistency, often telling myself I’m too busy or stressed out. Several others shared the same struggle. So we asked: When I’m stressed, can I put my phone down 10% more often and meditate instead? When I’m feeling down on myself, can I make time for friends a little more often than isolating?
So often we think of life in terms of success or failure, when so much of it happens in the in-between. We tell ourselves we’ve either changed or we haven’t, and that gap is where a lot of us get stuck.
Why small beats big
Think of everyone rushing to the gym on January 1st with a goal of going every day, when last year they went a handful of times. The expectation is so high that the first missed day feels like failure, and the whole thing collapses.
Our culture applauds the massive transformation. Plenty of online “gurus” sell courses promising to change your whole life, or make you rich overnight. But in reality, that lasting change happens more slowly. It needs to be planted, watered, and cared for before it can keep growing on its own.
Nature offers a similar lesson. Sudden, dramatic change can be destructive: a landslide, a flood, pests sweeping through a crop. Healthy ecosystems develop over time, and that gradual process helps build resilience.
The same idea, in the heat of the moment
I’ve found this applies to my reactions, not just my habits. When I catch myself in a moment of stress, anger, or frustration, I try to ask: can I be 10% softer right now? Or 10% more gentle, or 10% more compassionate?
Those are the moments when everything feels absolute. Maybe you’re angry at a coworker, your partner, or a stranger holding up the line in the grocery store. Softening 10% doesn’t mean swallowing your anger or pretending it isn’t there. It just means catching yourself before you act from the hottest part of it. Taking a moment to ask yourself, “How do I want to show up in this moment?”
Where this shows up at work
This is where I see the connection to Momentum’s work. Not every moment of workplace friction requires a dramatic fix. Sometimes, it starts with 10% more curiosity before responding in a tense meeting, or 10% more honesty in a conversation you’ve been avoiding.
Maybe it’s pausing long enough to really hear a colleague before assuming you know what they mean. Small shifts in how we show up for each other can make a meaningful difference over time.
Try it this week
Where in your life can you catch yourself and do 10% more? Maybe you’re burnt out but can’t take a two-week vacation without putting a project at risk. Could you do a two-day weekend with some beloved friends? Could you be a little more compassionate with the coworker who irks you? Could you be a little gentler with yourself?
Ten days wasn’t possible for me right now, but two days with wonderful people in nature turned out to be exactly what I needed.
I’d love to hear what you want to do 10% more of. What small shift could make a meaningful difference in your life this week?
Momentum works with executive leadership teams to rebuild trust, communication, and alignment at the top through executive business coaching, executive consulting, team training, and team off-sites.
If today’s topic hits close to home, let’s talk. Reply directly to this email or visit our website.
Fundamental of the Week #1: ACT WITH INTEGRITY
Integrity is the core of everything. Tell the truth, acknowledge and own your mistakes, and clean them up with appropriate corrections. Do the right thing even when no one is looking.
Momentum Consulting offers executive business coaching, top-level executive consulting, team training, and team off-sites to build and transform your business to the next level. Inquire about business consulting and leadership coaching today.
