by Michael Plank
The most successful people I know are masters of balance.
They’re are happy. They’re relaxed. They’re healthy. And they’re resilient.
By contrast, the people I know who are all-in-or-all-out are stressed, unbalanced, and fragile.
But it doesn’t always look that way. All-or-nothing operating can serve a person very, very well. Those people can have tremendous focus and tremendous drive. They may well be physically healthy and fit, financially secure, and professionally successful.
But when I say they’re fragile, I don’t mean physically… I mean psychologically. Not that they’re weak by any means, but that their system doesn’t handle obstacles well. It’s when a no-room-for-error elite exerciser gets hurt and can’t train and they have a subsequent existential crisis.
No judgment here. We all have our own struggles. But it’s easy to stand on the outside and see someone who’s at the top of their game in one specific area and become convinced that they have it all together, when the truth might be a little more complicated.
Because all-or-nothing thinking is tempting. And you encounter it a lot in the influencer space: any-sugar-is-bad, never-ever-ever-miss-a-monday, we-all-have-the-same-24-hours-in-a-day-no-excuses, etc. etc.
But it’s a trap. There’s always nuance. The idea that any sugar is bad leads people to demonize fruit, which is insane. Never missing a Monday means not compromising for anything, when there are absolutely things in this world more important than a workout. A single mom of 2 working a full-time job does not have the same 24 hours as a 23-year-old single college graduate. Don’t be fooled.
The people who actually DO have it all together – or at least largely together – are people who have figured out that while a diet largely composed of nutrient-dense, whole foods is important, a cup of hot cocoa for your kids after sledding on a snow day might also be important.
They understand that while focus and work output are important, being able to spontaneously get dinner with your friends when they’re in town also has a ton of value.
Don’t get trapped by the all-or-nothing, never-miss-a-workout, never-eat-a-gram-of-sugar, never-ever-ever-eat-carbs mentality.
Balance works a lot better long term, and you’ll be a lot happier while you do it.
Overwhelmed by the Week Ahead? Maybe Bare Minimum Monday’s are the Key to Your Success!