What is the 1% mindset?

"If you can get 1% better each day for one year, you'll end up 37 times better by the time you're done." - James Clear

In one of my favorite books, Atomic Habits, James continues, "Improving by 1% isn't particularly notable, sometimes it isn't even noticeable, but it can be far more meaningful – especially in the long run."

I think it perfectly sums up the manufacturing mindset at Volquartsen Firearms. The 1% mindset applies to any area we are trying to improve. Many improvements may go unnoticed and not make the marketing board, but that doesn't make them any less important.

This mindset is the one constant when talking to champion-level shooters. If we watched how they train, many of us would be surprised at what they practice. It's their relentlessness to drill on what many consider "boring stuff."

Remember when you were in junior high and those first few days of your chosen sport's practice? After playing the sport for a couple of years, we thought we had it all figured out, but regardless of skill level, the coach would always spend the first few days working on the basics when all we wanted to do was play the actual game. Fast forward a few years, and it is the same at the high school level, college, and even at the pro level - the "boring stuff" is the foundation.

Success comes from detaching from the outcome and being intentional with each process step that generates the result.

This past weekend, the 1% mindset came together at the 2023 World Speed Shooting Championships as Volquartsen Firearms swept the rimfire divisions. Team Volquartsen shooter Adam Renno captured 1st place in RFPO and RFPI with his Black Mambas. Kenshiro Nagata and his Superlite took home 1st place RFRO and RFRI while setting a record in RFRO with a blistering time of 53.53 seconds.

This idea is subtle and won't garner the most likes on social media, but consistency over time will produce noticeable changes.

PS: Check out our Superlite and Black Mamba models by clicking the images below!