Back in early 2021, my wife and I were out for a walk in January—something that, at the time, she usually had to convince me to do. At some point during that walk, she asked, "What's your New Year's resolution?"

I gave it a moment's thought while trying to catch my breath on this absolutely flat, zero-elevation walk. I looked off into the distance and said, "I think I want to be 5% less chubby by the end of this year."

She got quite a bit of amusement out of that. It was, of course, something I said just to make her laugh—which, if I'm being honest, is one of my goals about 80% of the time I'm around her. She has a pretty high bar for what she finds funny, so it always makes my day when I can come up with something that genuinely gets her laughing.

The "5% less chubby" comment became a bit of a running joke, but beyond that, I didn't give it much thought. Maybe it was that same mile-long walk that I'd convince myself to take, or maybe it was eating three donuts instead of the usual four to six that I'd inhale. But every chance I got to give her a side-eye and whisper, "Five percent, babyyy," was all the motivation I needed.

If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I absolutely love a callback. Whether it's The Office, Parks and Recreation, or some bizarre interaction between friends months earlier, I'm a heat-seeking missile for a good callback. So, as you can imagine, "5%" started getting thrown around more and more.

Here's the thing about setting a goal as ridiculous as 5%: it's almost immediately attainable.

If, by the end of the year, I had simply gone on a few more walks than I normally would have, I could honestly say I had reached my goal. Compared to most New Year's resolutions, it almost feels too small to count. Some people would probably argue it isn't even a real goal.

As it turns out, that's exactly what my brain needed.

Because you know what's amazing about aiming for just a 5% improvement? It isn't intimidating.

Historically, I've always set unrealistically high expectations for myself.

"Alright! New year, new me! Tomorrow I'm waking up at 5:00 AM, going for a run, meal prepping, reading every day..."

I'd usually make it through the first day. Maybe the second. Then life would happen, I'd miss one day, and before long I'd be right back where I started.

Real change is hard to sustain when it feels like your entire identity has to change overnight.

Now, that's not to say it can't happen. Social media is full of stories about people transforming their lives in an instant.

I'm just saying that wasn't my story.

My story was changing almost nothing in the beginning—just enough that it became my new normal. Then building from there.

The goal isn't to go scorched earth.

The goal is to start walking down a road that doesn't make you want to turn around before you even reach the first mile marker.

So...what is the 5% Club?

It's you.

It's me.

It's anyone who's trying to get a little better while giving themselves enough grace to keep going.

The trick isn't choosing the perfect road. It's staying on it.

In my experience, you'll be amazed at how those little 5% improvements stack on top of each other. They compound in ways you never see coming.

Since that first torturous walk back in early 2021, I've lost over 40 pounds—and, more importantly, I've kept it off.

I don't know what you want to become 5% better at.

Maybe it's your health.

Maybe it's your career.

Maybe it's your relationships.

Whatever it is, don't underestimate what one small, sustainable step can become over time. One day you'll look back and barely recognize the person you used to be.

The funny thing is, I still have that same goal of wanting to be 5% less chubby.

But somewhere along the way, that mindset spread into every other part of my life. I want to be 5% better as a friend. Five percent better as a husband. Five percent better as a dog dad. Five percent better as a coach.

Because that's what the 5% Club is really about.

Not perfection.

Not overnight transformation.

Just becoming a little better than you were yesterday.

And if that's the kind of person you're trying to become...

Welcome to the 5% Club.