If I can’t do it well, I won’t do it.

That’s a bit the thinking that many of us have.

For example we say to ourselves: I won’t do any fitness, sport or exercice because I won’t do enough of it. In this case, research tends to show that even just a little exercice every day (1) already creates change. The magical thing is that getting consistent with just a little bit of practice, then on the long term motivates you to even do more.

I believe that the same is true for making services more sustainable. We should start with something little and make it consistently. And once that feels normal for us, we can bring on another change. And this cycle of tiny change, habit, new change can go on for a long time.

In the end, a tiny consistent change is better than no change at all.

Action question

What’s one thing that you decided to not start because you felt your plan wasn’t perfect enough? What’s a small step that could take into that direction already tomorrow?

Footnotes

(1)  For example, a 7-minute workout routine seems to have real impact on the people who do it: 

Lama Mattar, Natali Farran and Dalal Bakhour (2017). Effect of 7-minute workout on weight and body composition. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. Available at https://swis.ac/7min accessed 24 November 2024. 

The inspiration

We discussed this principle with Service Design and sustainability nerd Haley Anderson. Watch that part of the interview here.

Daniele's notes

• This is the first shitty draft of this principle

• This principle might one day make it in the fifth book in the "Service Design Principles" series that explores how to better serve humans and the planet.

• If you're curious about service design principles, you can get the four previous books in the series, with proofread principles and less grammatical creativity.