Running Up The Score
Years ago, I started the new year with a goal to make a change in my health. At the time, my overall health was in a tailspin. So to get a better sense of what was happening, I found an app that measured the amount of calories consumed and the amount of calories burned through exercise.
The app used my personal data to suggest a “caloric target” for which I aimed each day. As I logged the calories consumed and exercise performed into the app, I could see how I was doing relative to my target at any given moment.
The gamification of building a better habit is not new. However, the typical mindset of a gamer is not only to win, but to win by a LOT.
There was a thrill in nearly starving myself in order to expand the margin of my “winning.” And then, on top of consuming much fewer calories than my recommended target, I thought, “Why not do an extra training session to pile on top of my success?”
I would fall asleep hungry and lethargic but with a sense of winning big.
This kind of tactic evokes a sense of “crushing it”… until it doesn’t.
No matter the personal objective, the margins of winning big are not sustainable.
Not only do such tactics utilize our lowest performing energy system (will power) to run up the score, but we also paralyze our highest performing sources of energy — the ones we depend upon to establish good habits that carry us forward for the duration of the long game. Here, we seek to develop a sense of sustainability with attention to balance, patience, and simplicity.
After my inevitable calorie-mismanagement crash, I reset the game once more. This time, the game progresses through managing energy just to the limits. With consistent repetition, progress is made.
This is the game I still play today. Without an app. Without a scale. Without a single measuring device.
But, with deep appreciation for the power of small steps forward every day. And, with the presence to be a little bit more self-gentle when mistakes happen.
The rules of this game are simple:
1) Play a competitive and close game.
2) Play this game every single day.
With gratitude,
-Joe
Perform your best at what matters most without compromising your life. Let’s design your simple and clear plan to get you and your team outside of the day-to-day rush of life and bring focus to what truly matters most.
