I regularly play tennis with this French guy in his 50s. Whatever powerful groundstrokes I hit, he just returns them nonchalantly. He also has a knack for consistently returning my shots — almost effortlessly.
I give every shot 100%, and I’m super gassed playing against him. Towards the later games, I just don’t have the wheels to beat him. My body and mind give up.
I noticed a similar pattern in boxing. When I spar and give it 100%, I get really tired after a minute. Getting gassed that early in a three-minute round is a recipe for a beatdown. I notice my hands dropping, my vision blurring, my feet feeling a little jelly, and my heart pounding — thinking I don’t have any gas left in the tank to defend myself.
It’s the same with work. When I’m always at 100%, I feel agitated and anxious. Maybe I feel productive, but I know that in a few weeks or months, I’ll start to hate going to work. And I’ll probably burn out.
It got me thinking that maybe going for 80% effort might be a better strategy. You can sprinkle in 100% when needed, but the ideal state seems to be around 80%.
At 80%, you stay consistent and don’t get gassed. You have the stamina to do things long-term. You have room to breathe.
What do you guys think?