Giving 100%

It’s impossible. Don’t do it. The end. See you next week.

Ok, let’s dig in a little bit more. At some point or another in our lives, someone has probably told us to “give 100%.” Or we’ve said, “I gave 110% out there!” And while I realize these are mostly figures of speech that imply we did our best, the meaning behind the words is to compel us to give maximum effort all the time. To repeat the above…it’s impossible.

We live in a society that is constantly pushing us to be more, to strive for better (which can mean many things to many people), to move faster, and to do more with less…both in our personal lives and our work lives. If we were machines, operating at 100% capacity might work for a while…but we’d eventually break down. We’re not machines. We’re human beings.

Recently, the US Surgeon General (Dr. Vivek Murthy) identified parental stress as an urgent public health issue. In a study by the American Psychological Association (APA), one passage shows that “41% of parents said they feel so stressed most days they struggle to function.” Oof.

The APA also found that chronic illnesses increased from 2019 to 2023 by 10 percentage points due to long-term stress. Certainly COVID-19 and other collective trauma played a role, but it’s compounded when we feel compelled to burn the candle at both ends. All. The Time.

I also understand there are times we HAVE to give our all. In a crisis, for example, it’s all hands on deck. But those are simply moments in time – not every minute of every day.

The irony of trying to give maximum effort all the time, though, is that we actually achieve less-than-maximum results. Study after study show diminishing returns and burnout occur quickly.

There’s also a mental/psychological element at play here when we push, push, push and see less than optimal results. We begin to doubt our own capabilities; we begin to have a crisis of confidence; we begin to feel guilty when we don’t give 100%; we begin to compare ourselves to others; we begin to question whether we’re good enough. I’ve seen it happen to friends and coworkers. I’ve experienced it myself.

Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, has a great article in the Harvard Business Review about giving 100%. It starts off with: An outdated way of thinking about peak performance is “maximum effort = maximum results.”

Here’s the thing…it’s ok to not give 100% all the time. As a matter of fact, it’s not humanly possible. Trying to do so will create both physical and mental health issues.

Slow down, take a breath, and give yourself permission to be human. Then go out and give 85% effort. You’ll be glad you did.  

Until next week.

Cheers,

Andy

(All written content created the old-fashioned way.)