This Exaggeration is Killing You

Earlier today this idea came to me and so far (at 10:16pm) it seems like it still holds up. Here’s my thought:

“Becoming nearly your best takes far less effort than you assume. Reaching your peak potential takes even more effort than you assume.”

There are two very important messages here. The first is of minor importance. In a pursuit of peak expression, the only chance you have is an effort unknown to mankind. Whatever you think it will take, double it. I think these kinds of goals are incredible, inspiring, and important. If you have these goals, don’t bullshit yourself or anyone around you. Half-stepping is not allowed. 

The second message might be the most critical here. I’m saying you can become more fit, more successful, more happy, more anything in far less time with far less effort than you might imagine. This is critical because most things in life we don’t actually desire peak expressions in. Nonetheless, this faulty logic is making you exaggerate the work required to reach remarkable levels of performance in any category of your life. It doesn’t pay to put these tangible goals on a pedestal.

I’m not promoting a defeatist attitude here, either. If you want to find your peak expression in the gym, then we need to have a different conversation because what you’re doing looks nothing what it looks like to be a world champion. But, when it’s put like that, you don’t really want to be a world champion in the first place and that’s OK. I’m saying you can become the fittest person you know, fitter than your wildest dreams for far less effort than it takes to be a world champion. 

I’d venture to guess you over-exaggerate how much extra work you’d need to do to get the promotion you want, start a side business, or have some dreamy body fat percentage. I know full well many of my friends that don’t workout , for example, assume getting into incredible shape would require an inconceivable amount of effort. The problem with this perspective is that it justifies making no effort. After all, who would try an impossible feat if they knew they would fail?

I roll jiu jitsu with an older gentleman who’s a brown belt at my school. Curious about his path I asked him about how he started. It seemed peculiar to me that he started jiu jitsu so late at around forty years old. His perspective reinforced my notion above. He said,

“I started right around the time my daughter was born. I always figured I could never be a black belt and have a legitimate craft in anything because of my stage in life, but I realized I could easily imagine my daughter’s tenth birthday. So, since I planned on attending my daughter’s tenth birthday in the future that I might as well show up as a black belt.” 

You have no idea what an impact that a small commitment can have over time. This notion that we over exaggerate what it would take to meet 90% of our potential in something is great news, actually. It’s a free pass to a life of your dreams… if you start. 

Logan Gelbrich   

@functionalcoach