Fit for Life: Aim for "Good" Over Great
Matt Espeut, Health & Lifestyle Contributor
Fit for Life: Aim for "Good" Over Great
However, when you consider seeking perfection all the time, you realize that it is not sustainable for anyone, but being consistently good is.
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Look at some of the greatest of all time, like Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, etc. They weren't the greatest every season, but they were consistently very good, and by being consistently good, they earned the titles of GOAT or greatest of all time.
They didn't have the best stats every season, and they weren't the greatest players every season; otherwise, they would have won championships every year, but they were consistently in the top 10% of their sports. In contrast, let's look at some of the players who had breakout seasons and put up amazing stats. Where are they now after they peaked?
The greatest stay consistent and continuously try to get better every year, and that builds longevity and future greatness. They didn't just have one good season; they all had amazing careers.
Even top bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn't in perfect contest shape all year round. He was good all year round and kept driving to get better, but he was only great when he needed to step on stage.
When I first opened my Fit Body Boot Camp, being one of the top owners wasn't even a consideration for me because there were so many other owners who knew more and were better than me. Now, after 10 years of consistent self-development and applying the knowledge I learned, we are in the top 10% of the brand, and I am happy with that status.
You may be thinking, "How does this relate to me? I am not a pro athlete and don't own a business?"
In my opinion, it relates to everyone who has a job, goes to school, is a parent, and wants to live a life of fulfillment and vitality.
Let's take your health and fitness, as this is my area of expertise, and I know a little bit about it.
If you are perfect with your nutrition and hit the gym every day for 6 weeks straight, then fall off, go on vacation, eat crap for a couple of weeks, and miss a bunch of workouts, you will regress and need to start all over again.
In contrast, if you create an arsenal of good habits over time, like drinking your water daily, getting enough sleep, eating well, and working out consistently, you can have that cheat meal and miss a workout or two without retribution. In other words, if you are consistently good, you will achieve a better result over time.
I am consistently good all week and go off-script on the weekends. I avoid bread, processed food, sugar, and dairy products throughout the week, but if I want ice cream or pizza on the weekend, I have it.
This has allowed me to sustain great health and fitness for over twenty years, and at 55, I show no signs of slowing down. I don't need to be perfect unless I plan on stepping on stage anytime soon, in which case, it's a different story.
Have you ever had a record week at work when you crushed your quotas, worked tons of overtime, and were temporarily great, only to never hit that benchmark again? That's because you were great for that given time frame but fell off after doing your victory lap. You got complacent after being great for a short time and couldn't sustain for the long haul.
On the flip side, if you try to be consistently good week in and week out, you will improve your craft and skill set so you can be sustainable in your element. This is what enables us to achieve long-term success. Be good consistently and keep improving; over time, you become great at what you do.
Being the best at something is stressful, exhausting, and, in most cases, unattainable. I say this not to discourage you but to motivate you to be the best of your ability.
TB and MJ had great work ethics, but something in their DNA gave them an advantage over others. Even if we all worked harder than them, which is impossible, we still couldn't be as good as them. Many have tried, but no one has succeeded.
So stop trying to be #1 and focus on being the top 10% of whatever you do. If you focus on getting 1% better every day, it will compound into greatness. Set some big-picture goals, then reverse them into bite-sized, attainable pieces.
When you focus on being consistently good, you will eventually become great. If you are occasionally great, that's a bonus, but consistency is the key to longevity and success.
Coach Matt