I have mentioned this in a few posts, but resting and pacing myself are both things I struggle with. So, reading McKeown’s suggestions in Effortless about establishing lower and upper bounds really spoke to me, “Never less than X, never more than Y.”
The Danger of Unhealthy Habits
For most of my life, the lower bounds I set were likely far higher than the higher bounds should have ever been. And for most of my life, this was okay. It pushed me to learn, grow, and experience things I otherwise would not have done. However, it created a very unhealthy habit that eventually led me to burnout. And an unhealthy habit that I am still working hard to overcome the psychological effects of.
The Importance of Pacing
We all know the story of The Tortoise and The Hare. Yet, I think, many of us dismiss the importance of pacing ourselves in our own endeavors. McKeown explains it as “The cost of this boom-and-bust approach to getting important projects done is too high; we feel exhausted on days we sprint hard, drained and demoralized on the days we don’t, and more often than not we wind up like those British explorers, feeling battered and broken and no closer to achieving our goal.” The British explorers he is referring to are the ones who raced against the Swedish explorers on reaching the South Pole. The British pushed like mad to get there, yet failed miserably. The Swedish established upper bounds of only 15 miles per day - they reached the goal and got back home safely - the same can’t be said about the British.
Setting Bounds with brainHQ
One way I am setting lower and upper bounds is through my renewed daily practice of brainHQ (an online brain training program that uses interactive games to improve cognitive performance based on decades of neuroscience research). When I first started using the program, I pushed myself to do 30-60 minutes a day. Needless to say, this wasn’t sustainable. The second time I started it up again, I changed it from X minutes/day to four lessons a day. Again, that didn’t last long. So this time, I am setting the lower and upper bounds of: Never less than 3 per week, never more than 3 per day. This gives me a more realistic and flexible space to reach my goal. So far, it is working well.
Ponder This
- How can you implement the concept of "Never less than X, never more than Y" in your daily routine to prevent burnout?
- What areas of your life could benefit from setting clear lower and upper bounds?
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Books
- Effortless - Greg McKeown
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