Category Archives: Effort

Discover the right balance between effort and ease

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“Discover the right balance between effort and ease.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Gustavo Torres

Create a list of your favorite sports. Do you or have you played any of those mentioned here? Consider what it takes to perform optimally in each of them.

Baseball Bowling Cricket Football
Golf Gymnastics Hockey Rugby
Soccer Shuffleboard Swimming Tennis

To what degree do you see the dance between effort and ease in these and other sports?

How are each of these qualities essential to play at a masterful level?

EXERCISE:

Where in your life is there too much effort or ease being applied?

How can you re-balance these qualities to perform even better moving forward?

Do my expectations match the level of effort I’m giving

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“Do my expectations match the level of effort I’m giving?”

—Shane Parrish, Founder of the Farnam Street website

Image from Unsplash by Product School

What are your thoughts about the statement You get what you expect?  How do your own personal and professional results align with your expectations?

I am all about the power of positivity when and only when our efforts are consistent with our thinking.

In my observations and in lots of social science studies there seems to be a strong correlation between the harder we work, and the luckier we get.

EXERCISE:

How and where is it necessary to up your level of effort to match the expectations you have for yourself?

Where would raising your expectations and your level of effort be in order?

At what point in your efforts do you experience the point of diminishing returns

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“At what point in your efforts do you experience the point of diminishing returns? When is enough enough?”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Suzi Kim

What is your profession? How many hours do you typically work each week?

Consider the career of an accountant: seven days and over 80 hours a week is often the norm for many of these folks this time of year.

What about other professions such as those in the medical field during Covid and significant staff shortages?

Maybe you are a homemaker or caregiver with young children or aging parents who also needs to be a breadwinner. If any of these situations sounds familiar, you have likely reached and exceeded the point of diminishing returns.

EXERCISE:

What are the costs to you and others when you consistently go beyond your limits?

What new or different strategies can you employ when enough is more than enough?

When you lean in, your risk being hit

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“When you lean in, your risk being hit.”

—Rich Litvin, co-author of The Prosperous Coach

Image from Unsplash by Nicholas Green

In how many areas of your life do you sit on the sidelines as a spectator?

Where in your personal or professional communities are you playing it safe, avoiding the bumps and bruises of the players on the field?

Whether it is in your career, a competitive sporting event, or even in a significant relationship, leaning in has its risks.

What potential rewards will never be realized if you are always keeping your distance?

EXERCISE:

Where is it time to lean into something of great importance or urgency?

How can you best prepare yourself for the possible hits you may receive in your efforts to reach some worthy objective?

Friday Review: Effort

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Friday Review: Effort

Where do you put in the most effort in your personal and professional lives? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

“Don’t forget how badly you once wanted what you have now.”

 

 

 

“Nobody notices what you do until you do not do it.”

 

 

 

“Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not.”

 

 

 

When is it time to let go or give up so that you can begin something new

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When is it time to let go or give up so that you can begin something new?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Amazon

Where do you currently feel stalled or stuck in your life? How are you wrestling with the sunk cost of time, effort, and resources where your pivoting is just not paying off? How can you tell when it’s time to quit and when to stick things out?

An approach that has served me over the years is the HHG method. This acronym stands for Head, Heart, and Gut.

In most cases, when I evaluate my endeavors through these three filters, I can move on or stay the course with greater confidence.

EXERCISE:

Try the HHG method for yourself and let me know what you discover. I also recommend Seth Godin’s classic book “The Dip” as a resource to explore in times of potential transition.

We take care of the future best by taking care of the present now

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“We take care of the future best by taking care of the present now.”

—Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mindfulness Meditation

Image from Amazon

I am currently reading The Carbon Almanac, edited by Seth Godin, who also wrote the Forward. It is a 300+ page book of facts about climate change.

Representing the global efforts of more than three hundred volunteers in over 40 countries, it is the most up to date and well-vetted resource that presents where we are and how we got here, in language that we can all understand.

This book is a call to action to have all people, organizations, and governments come together to meet this moment in time to take care of our world and each other.

EXERCISE:

Please order, read, and discuss this important book with others in your various communities.

Encourage others to actively participate in this urgent global effort.

“Doing your best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”

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“Doing your best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Serena Repice Lentini

What percent of the time do you give your personal and professional activities your very best?

How often do you feel stretched and notice the burn physically, mentally, or emotionally as you take on a particular challenge?

In grade school, I had the opportunity to visit New York and climb to the crown of the Statue of Liberty. The 162 steps to the top seemed like a million. I recall the heat and shaking in my legs as I tried to keep pace.

No one was stopping to catch their breath on the various platforms, and I sure didn’t want to look like a slacker in front of my friends.

Twenty minutes or so from my first step, I received my crowning reward, seeing the panoramic view of New York’s skyline, including the twin towers of the World Trade Center, and the Empire State Building.

EXERCISE:

Where in your world are you holding back your best efforts?

Where would taking those extra steps place you at a higher point to both see and pursue even greater personal and professional excellence?

“Don’t forget how badly you once wanted what you have now.”

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“Don’t forget how badly you once wanted what you have now.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Ismael Paramo

How satisfied are you with your life? Examine who you are on the inside and take a look on the outside to explore your intrinsic and extrinsic accomplishments.

How do your observations compare to the answers you would have offered from 5, 10, or even 20 years ago?

Which of your efforts — based on what you wanted — have come to fruition, and how pleased are you today?

EXERCISE:

Take the time today to count your many blessings. How rich do you feel?

Consider having a conversation with a friend, family member, or colleague to expand the value of this exercise to more fully appreciate how far you have come.