Stop Giving 100%. Try 85% Instead.

Hey guys!!!

Go out and give it your all!

Give 110%…..

No, 150%!!!!!

Win one for the Gipper!

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That’s what we were told most of our life, right?

I definitely was. From parents and coaches and guidance counselors....forever.....

And I get it.

It helped me along my path.

No laziness would be tolerated.

Except about 9 months ago….I heard someone say (and I seriously can't remember who said it):

"Why don’t you go out today and give 85%. And save the rest for yourself."

And I was like---WHAT?

This felt REVOLUTIONARY.

Let’s try it again.

“Instead of 100%, give 85% today. And save the rest for yourself.”

What IF we could just a LITTLE bit less. Just once in a while....

Did you hear that GASP from the guy behind the green curtain?

When you read that, how do you feel?

What comes up for you?

It's part of a new coaching program I'm running called Question Everything, Especially Your Mother's Advice. (Or your football coach's. Or Knute Rockne's. Or your Dad's. Or Tom Brady's.)

But it's no scooter through the park.

Just yesterday my brother was like: "Um, no way. I don't know how to do that. Forget it!"

So what does giving 85% look like? Except giving up on a stretch (see above)

As an Entrepreneur, Cancel a Meeting. If you usually schedule 6 meetings a day, schedule 5, but keep that last 15% of the day blocked off to go and stare into space or sleep. Set a timer for 20 minutes and do it. And when you skip it every week, at least you'll know that you SHOULD be resting.

As a Parent, Let Your Children See You Lie Down. Let them see you rest and take care of yourself and leave the dishes in the sink. Kids witnessing every decision I make is not my favorite part of parenting. But what if they saw our self -care? What if they saw you do only 85%? Just once in a while?

As a Human, Go to a Restorative Yoga Class. I once had this yoga teacher, Tracy, tell me that the ultimate prank would be to hold a Restorative Yoga class and a Power Yoga class at the same time. Then once everybody was inside, lock the door and swap the classes. Just try 85%. Today.

As a Leader, Let your Team Leave Early. Even if there's still six things on the to-do list. I know you want to finish strong and clean. But that called Imagined Reality. It's fake. It will never actually happen. Because you know that WITHIN those last three items, five more will get added to the bottom. So just go for the 85%.

As a Thought Leader, Share Your Faults. Please tell people that you're not perfect. Just as Eleni Kelakos talked about last week, we must f*** perfection. (although she did not swear). Just as Julia Roberts calls Cameron Diaz "annoyingly perfect" in My Best Friend's Wedding, perfection is not attractive. So just be a human. Be 85% today.

Then when you get home, you still have some energy to do something for YOURSELF.

It takes bravery to do less. Dare ya.

What FEELING comes up for you when I say give only 85%?

I'm in the business of transformation. Moxie. Messaging. Manifestation.

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