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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that hard work is good, but you don't have to leave it all on the field.
Sometimes it's wise to put forth a good effort rather than an over-the-top effort.
Sustainability is important. and very few of us can afford to go through our lives completely spent.
So I suppose I am a literalist, but I get annoyed when people start talking about giving 110%.
This is impossible, as is the subsequent inflation from there, 120%, 150%, whatever.
You can only do 100%.
And it is also not wise to give 100% all the time, or even most of the time.
Smart people know they need to figure out where to give a lot and where to do just a decent job.
They also recognize that, even on occasions when you do want to do your best, you will likely need to get up and do more things the next day.
So best to leave the field with something for the journey.
I was thinking of this recently when reflecting on training for a marathon many years ago.
As I was training and figuring out what to expect, I was also reading various essays on marathon running, generally featuring people waxing eloquent about leaving it all on the field as they pushed to the finish.
Now, keep in mind, these weren't people racing for an Olympic gold.
They were amateur runners, just like the rest of us.
I have to say I wasn't particularly taken with the idea and I ran my 262 miles and finished.
But I'm glad I did not leave it all on the field because right after my race I immediately needed to nurse a baby who had been waiting for me for those several hours.
I also needed to help care for my kids who were with me at this particular destination race.
Indeed, the next day, my two-year-old swallowed something he shouldn't have, and we were at the ER for a few hours.
It was good I did not, metaphorically, leave it all on the field.
Perhaps you, likewise, have a full life with many responsibilities.
If you have toddlers, it would be irresponsible to leave it all on the field during a Saturday morning workout.
Is your spouse just supposed to be responsible for chasing after the kids on their own all day?
My guess is no.
So leave something in the tank.
In life, sustainability is good.
We can certainly push at times, but we never want to be truly running on empty.
And that means being smart about how much effort we put into things.
There are times when you may care enough to operate at 95% or more.
There are also probably a lot of places in both your personal and professional life where sustainability requires a little less than that.
We can figure out places to go a little less all out.
For instance, when you see a dropped ball, that is not your responsibility.
You don't have to pick it up.
See what happens without you.
Maybe someone else will step in to pick up the dropped ball.
Or it will become apparent that the task wasn't essential after all.
Relatedly, when someone is needed for a project, you don't have to be the first to raise your hand if you are already operating at close to capacity.
Think of yourself as leaving room for someone else to step up.
One practical way to scale back your efforts is to process email less frequently.
When you don't respond immediately, people may figure things out on their own.
And even if you are still needed, you slow down the pace with which the ball comes back into your court.
Another strategy is to avoid needing to say yes immediately to any new responsibilities.
Thank the person for thinking of you and let them know you'll review your calendar and get back.
That gives you time to weigh the pros and cons, figure out how you can free up time for the new activity or whether you want to.
Some responsibilities you can just decide to dial back.
You can make a simpler dinner.
Meeting minutes can include bulleted highlights rather than an exhaustive chronicle of the discussion.
There is really no point staying up to 3 a.m. to edit a presentation.
It's not going to be much better.
And you will probably perform worse.
There are very few circumstances when it is necessary or wise to totally deplete yourself.
You are not an Olympian in the finals.
You are a person with a full life and many days ahead of you.
So don't leave it all on the field.
Leave enough to get through the next day so you can go out and do it all again.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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