Be a 4-Percenter

Comfort is our default. Thriving is your decision.

It’s human nature to avoid challenge.

Choosing easy doesn’t mean you’re lazy, or you don’t want “it” bad enough, it’s because you’re human. 

For hundreds of thousands of years, our species survived by conserving energy. Calories were hard to come by, movement was mandatory, and rest was protective. Our brain has gotten really good at one job: keep us alive by spending as little energy as possible. Fast forward to today and this is why you can genuinely know what you should be doing when it comes to living your healthiest lifestyle, and still not do it.

You know you’d feel better if you moved your body but the bed is warm. 

You know the burger and fries won’t help your goals, but it’ll taste so good right now.

You know the late-night dessert isn’t actually solving the day you had but it brings you comfort in the moment. 

The  easy options calls your name. And in the moment, it feels so good.  Relatable? Let’s talk about why.

A Little History Lesson: Our Ancestors Were Basically Professional Athletes

Picture a normal day for your great-great-great-great (x a thousand) grandmother. She didn’t “fit in steps.” She lived them. Food required effort: hunting, gathering, carrying, prepping, cooking. Water required effort. Shelter required effort. Even staying warm required effort.

Movement wasn’t a workout. It was survival. There was no skipping because we didn’t feel like it, because the bed was warm, or because we were tired.

Compare that to today where we can Door Dash a high-calorie meal without standing up, sit for hours a day and still call it “busy”, drive across the parking lot because it’s “quicker”, and get a dopamine hit from a screen instead of doing something that builds resilience at the same time. 

Our ancestors would be confused. Not because modern life is “bad,” but because it’s so incredibly easy.

And herein lies the issue.

Survival is now pretty much a given–Thriving however, is not…

Thriving requires choices that don’t happen automatically. It requires effort on purpose.

The 4% Rule (and Why it Matters)

One study found that when an escalator is present, only about 4% of people choose the stairs.

FOUR PERCENT.  That number is not a character flaw. It’s a clue. Our brain’s default settings are to conserve energy, seek comfort, and choose convenience.  That wiring used to protect us, but now it hurts us.  

Today we’re  under-moved and over-fed, and our ancient wiring hasn’t caught up to our modern environment. The “easy choice” is everywhere. And it’s normal.  But normal is not the goal.

If you want to thrive make it your goal to be a 4-percenter.

What “Defaulting to the 96%” Looks Like in Real Life

This isn’t about never enjoying a restaurant meal, always skipping dessert, or never staying in bed for some extra Z’s – it’s about noticing where your life has quietly become optimized for comfort.

It shows up in tiny ways all day long...

You take the elevator because the stairs aren’t as convenient. 

You circle for the closest parking spot even though you’re perfectly capable of walking. 

You sit for hours because you’re “working,” then wonder why your body feels stiff and tired. 

When it comes to food, you default to the higher calorie option because it’s easy and it sounds good, not because it’s actually going to nourish you or support your goals. 

You skip strength training because it feels awkward and hard, or you’re not “in the mood.” 

You put off protein and produce because they require planning and grab the snack bag instead. 

You stay up too late because the quiet feels like relief, even though tomorrow-you is the one who pays for it.

None of this makes you bad. It makes you human in a world built for convenience, where stress makes comfort become the default, not the decision. 

Becoming a 4-Percenter Isn’t About Intensity. It’s About Identity.

Here’s the shift I want you to try on:

You don’t need to overhaul your life. You need to practice choosing the slightly harder option more often.

Not because you’re punishing yourself. Because you’re training a skill. And somewhere along the line we forgot that learning new things and getting better at skills requires challenge. 

The mantra that can change your life is:  I can do hard things on purpose.

And that skill spills into everything.

• You take the stairs, and suddenly a 20-minute walk feels doable.

• You stand for a call, and suddenly you’re less stiff at the end of the day.

• You lift weights even when you don’t feel like it, and you start trusting yourself again.
  

This is how confidence is built.

Not by motivation.

By reps.

Ask yourself: where am I letting convenience make decisions for me?

Where am I avoiding effort that would actually help me?

Where am I outsourcing my choices to my environment?

Where do I keep saying “it’s not a big deal” but I know deep down it adds up?

What’s one place I could choose the slightly harder option today?

Your Challenge:

Today, I want one rep.  One moment where you choose the physically harder option on purpose. Take the stairs. Walk the errand. Stand for the meeting. Add a 10 minute walk after a meal. Do one set of strength work. Then get curious, not critical. How did you  feel during and after? Did it energize you or tire you? And did that one choice shift your relationship with effort for the rest of the day?

The point

Most people take the escalator.

Most people drive to the corner store.

Most people sit through the call.

These aren’t “bad habits.” They’re easy ones, formed by default. But growth rarely happens by default. In a world designed for comfort and efficiency, thriving has to be chosen. Choose one small hard thing today. Be a 4-Percenter.

Remind yourself: Effort on purpose.

If you want help building your personal 4% habits, I’m here and I’m ready! Let’s chat!