50 Shades of Extreme...Getting Rid of the Go Big or Go Home Mentality

So many people, myself included, have always thought of go big or go home as a rallying cry for motivation. In fact, one-time yeaaars ago I emphatically yelled at my coordinator go big or go home and she looked and me and said…I’ll go home. Well that certainly backfired on me now didn’t it?

Recently I’ve been realizing more and more that people think the only choice is to give 150% or do absolutely nothing, and the mental anguish trying to decide which way to go is keeping us all stuck where we are and mentally (and potentially physically) exhausted. Why don’t we praise and encourage people who give us 25 – 50% on days when they didn’t want to get out of bed, and why don’t we ask those giving 150% all the time to slow down before they burn out?

The more I think about it the more I realize that the go big or go home mentality is a crutch, an excuse to stay exactly where you are…in your comfort zone, not changing, not growing and justifying it with well if I can’t go big, I’ll just stay home. Really think about it most people wait to start eating healthy until Monday and the second they slip they throw in the towel and say I guess we will start next Monday. Why not let the one slip be that and continue on your path. Others might go from not working out to training for a marathon…why not just start with a few walks a couple times a week and build up? We do the same thing with work. We have our teams working out of archaic systems & spreadsheets because the second we hear or see a new technology we decide it has to be integrated with EVERYTHING…but why? Why would we rather stay unhappy, unhealthy, unfit, and unproductive rather than taking a few steps forward?

Forward movement, no matter what it is, causes forward momentum (it’s science 😉) and that breeds constructive change, and constructive change (whether you like it or not) can and will bring more satisfaction and joy to your personal AND professional life. So the next time you are thinking it has to be all or nothing…ask yourself why and maybe take a few steps forward rather 2 miles forward.

Wouldn’t you rather just meet somewhere in the middle instead of having to pick from two extremes? Changes are choosing either extreme won’t get you to where you want to go when you want to get there...whatever the destination. Don’t get me wrong there are times when we need to SPRINT towards the finish line, and there are days where staying in bed is exactly what the doctor ordered, but most days, most days anywhere in the middle will do!

In the words of Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “Why don’t you just meet me in the middle? I’m losing my mind just a little, so why don’t you just meet me in the middle?”