1% Better: Reaching My Full Potential and How You Can Too

by Chris Nikic, Nik Nikic, Don Yaeger (With)

Overview

What would life look like if you measured your success by improvements instead of victories? Nik Nikic shares the incredible story of his son Chris’s journey to become the first person with Down syndrome to ever complete an IRONMAN® triathlon, inspiring others to achieve their goals by getting 1 percent better every day.

From the moment Chris Nikic was born, his parents knew he could achieve anything he set his mind to do. So when he became involved in triathlons with the Special Olympics, his dad, Nik, took on the role of coach and encouraged Chris to aim even higher. Together, they set their sights on making history—Chris becoming the first person with Down syndrome to complete an IRONMAN® triathlon.

Written from Chris’s father’s perspective, Nik shares the 1% Better mindset that has helped Chris achieve many of his goals—and the underlying principles of the 1% Better system can help you pursue and achieve your dreams too! Through Chris and Nik’s story, learn the benefits of applying the model to your own life and discover how to:

• Overcome the mental hurdles of pain
• Stay motivated using three irrefutable laws of motivation
• See failures as opportunities for improvement
• Form a lifelong habit of success

You may never be the best. But you can be better than your best when you stop imposing self-limitations and begin the journey to reach your goals—one confident step at a time.

Publisher’s Note: 1% Better is written in Nik Nikic’s voice. Chris and his accomplishments are the focus of 1% Better, and Chris is a coauthor of the book as he was interviewed by his father and the writer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785256458
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	10/05/2021
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishing
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Chris Nikic is the 21-year-old man who made history as the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon. Guiness World Records recognized Chris’s achievement after he finished a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-marathon run at the Ironman Florida competition in Panama City Beach. He completed the race in 16 hours 46 minutes and 9 seconds—14 minutes under the 17-hour cutoff time.

 

What drives Chris is this: “My mission is to honor God by being the best me I can be so I can be an example to others. I want to change the perceptions and raise expectations for others like me so we can reach our God-given potential. Believe and Achieve by getting 1% Better.”

 

Chris and his father, Nik, developed the "1% Better Challenge" to stay motivated during training. After his record-setting achievement, Chris will continue training for the 2021 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, as well as the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.

NIK NIKIC brings over 20 years of experience in helping clients maximize top line revenue. Nik’s expertise is focused in developing a “Sales Performance Optimization System” through a hybrid approach of integrating sales process, CRM tools, and sales skills into one cohesive solution.

Over the years Nik and his organization have worked with many global companies like United Technologies, Computer Sciences Corporation, Toshiba, Deloitte, RICOH, Tech Data, Progress Energy, Clear Channel, Siemens, Xerox, Gartner Group, EMC, Parametric Technology, SCT, Cambridge Technology, GE Capital, OCE/Imagistics, NICE Systems and many others.

Nik is the father of Chris Nikic, the first person with Down syndrome to ever complete a full IRONMAN.  Together they developed the 1% Better Challenge to help keep Chris motivated during his training. Having trained thousands of people during his career, Nik says, “Chris is the most coachable person I’ve ever met.”

Don Yaeger is an 11-time New York Times Best-selling author, longtime Associate Editor at Sports Illustrated and today is one of the most in-demand public speakers on the corporate circuit. He delivers an average of 70 speeches a year to an average annual audience of 100,000. He lives in Tallahassee, FL, with his wife and two children. He is the host of the highly-rated Corporate Competitor Podcast, and offers training courses developed from his years of research into high performance habits.  www.donyaeger.com

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Doctor's Office ix

Part 1

1 From Montenegro to the Bronx 3

2 Work and Family 17

3 Chris is Born 29

4 Too Weak to Nurse 37

5 School and Sports 47

Part 2

6 New Setbacks, New Resolve 57

7 Let's Do One More 71

8 Team Chris 83

9 "You are an Ironman!" 101

Part 3

10 Getting to 1% Better 117

11 Lessons for Achieving a 1% Better Mindset 129

12 Fun, Painless, and Habit Forming: The Good Life 143

13 The Achievement Habit Mindset 153

14 Now It's Your Turn 169

Acknowledgments 173

Appendix: The 1% Better System 179

Notes 197

About the Authors 199

Editorial Reviews

08/30/2021

Business coach Nik Nikic’s motivational debut chronicles the remarkable journey of his son, Chris, the first person with Down syndrome to complete the IRONMAN triathlon. Nikic describes the physical, sensory, and cognitive challenges Chris faced as a child, revealing that concern for his son’s future became the impetus to explore his capabilities. Growing increasingly frustrated by others’ “realistic” limitations for his son, Nikic became convinced that physical and community activity could improve Chris’s quality of life. To help his son realize his potential, Nikic encouraged Chris to write down his dreams and began to implement the gradual improvement approach he used in business to coach his son—describing it as “developing good habits as the building blocks for progress over time.” For instance, he began Chris’s athletic training with only one squat, one sit-up, and one push-up. By increasing the regimen by one repetition each training session, Chris was able to do 200 of each exercise only a year later. Nikic also provides insight into making the training with his son a shared adventure. Nikic’s inspirational guide will appeal to those preferring to trade the popular “no pain, no gain” philosophy for an effective, motivating alternative. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly