I recently heard a podcast with James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, about the power of getting just 1% better each day. When you compound those small improvements over a year, the result is a 37% advantage. That number stopped me in my tracks. Because most of us underestimate small decisions, especially when they don’t feel dramatic in the moment. Imagine a 1% increase in your confidence over one year. It would be amazing, right? Confidence isn’t built in big leaps. It’s built quietly, through repetition and systems that make showing up easier.
The 1% Shift: How Small Daily Choices Build Confidence Over Time
Big overhauls rely on motivation, and small shifts rely on systems. Systems are what help create consistency. This is exactly what I see when I work with clients. My last client of 2025 and my first client of 2026 both came to me with the same frustration: closets full of clothes, yet nothing felt right. Getting dressed felt overwhelming. They didn’t need more clothes. They needed clarity. By making small shifts in how they put together outfits and how they thought about specific pieces, we created over 40 outfits from what they already owned. When getting dressed suddenly feels easier and less stressful, confidence follows.
Confidence Comes From Having Options That Work
You build confidence when the clothes in your closet support your real life.
Whether that’s: brunch with friends, date night, traveling, client meetings, networking, working from home, or school pick up.When you know your clothes work for you, you stop second-guessing. You show up differently. You stand taller.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s design. You have the pieces that work for you, a system in place that allows you to show up 1% better every day.
Start the 1% Shift in Your Closet
Here’s an easy power move. Every day, add one intentional element to your outfit.
- Wear the jacket you saved for “later.”
- Put on the watch you love.
- Choose that piece with the fabric you love, the one that feels good, instead of defaulting to what’s easy.
You are not dressing for an imaginary future moment.
You are the moment.
You are the moment.
The Monthly 1% Shift
Instead of shopping randomly, create a simple monthly add list. Create a list of what you need, and then every month, choose one piece from the list that would intentionally support how you want to show up:
- A piece with a higher-quality fabric
- A watch, belt, or shoe that finishes your outfits
- A color or accessory that becomes part of your brand
This isn’t about buying more. It’s about buying better quality investment pieces and adding them with intention.
When you add pieces strategically, versatility increases and decision fatigue decreases.
The Daily Confidence Question
Here’s the question I ask clients, “How do you want to show up, and does this outfit support that?” For example, a client recently said they want to show up as a Senior Vice President of X, and another is the CEO of an international company. Ask yourself, “How do I want to show up?”
Then, when you get dressed, ask yourself, “Do I feel like an X?”, “Am I showing up as X in this outfit?” What’s one thing I can add that makes this outfit feel like me?”
Not for approval.
Not for anyone else.
For you.
Not for anyone else.
For you.
When Small Shifts Become Habit
At first, it will be challenging, remember you have to get dressed with intention. Then, it will be a little easier, and one day, it will be how you get dressed. You will find that’s when confidence stops being something you chase and becomes something you embody.
Not because you changed everything, but because you changed one small thing consistently. You got 1% better every day.
Your Next Step
Imagine having systems in place so getting dressed feels easier and more confident. It’s possible. Book a Style Inspo Session to get started.
Small shifts done consistently create big change. That’s where the confidence lives.