Dr. John A. KingIndigenous Australian. 100% Human. Neo-Noir Novelist. Poet. Speaker. Performance coach. More than a Survivor. Terrible Golfer, Awkward Dancer🕺

One-degree change, 100-mile impact #substack #shorts

3 Jan 2026 · 0 min

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In this brief motivational monologue, Dr. John A. King draws on his experience as a private pilot to illustrate how a tiny deviation—just one degree—can cause an aircraft to end up a hundred miles off course. He extends this aviation principle to personal recovery, growth, and cultivating a performance mindset, arguing that lasting change comes from small, consistent adjustments rather than dramatic, bold declarations. The speaker emphasizes that relying on grand statements rarely yields results, and instead encourages a steady, incremental approach to achieving goals.

If you've ever flown an airplane, and I had the privilege of getting my private pilot's license, you can only be 1 degree off, and over the course of time, you will be 100 miles from where your destination is supposed to be. I think it's exactly the same with recovery, with personal growth, and with developing a performance mindset, is we often think everything is going to be obtained to us by these big, big, stark, bold declarations and moves. I haven't found that to be the case.