Everything is good in moderation. Even moderation.
Iveta Cherneva
In the pursuit of becoming better, becoming the best seems like the obvious goal.
But in practice, becoming the best gets in the way of becoming better.
Extremes are lauded in public. The world’s best athletes, entrepreneurs, and artists are constantly praised in the spotlight.
Their accomplishments become desirable goals for ourselves, but we only see a narrow version of their day-to-day lives. We see the benefits their hard work, but we don’t see the sacrifices it took to get there or the daily struggles required to stay there.
Pushing ourselves to the extremes has consequences. If we’re not willing to accept those consequences we shouldn’t idolize the best in the world because we’d be miserable if we traded places with them.
A remarkable life is more achievable and more enjoyable than we think, but it requires nuance and balance instead of chasing the extremes.
The superpower of becoming better is maintaining the middle ground, not pushing to the extremes.
The middle ground
coined the term Supermedium to describe athletes with the perfect balance of muscle mass and endurance. They are strong enough to lift heavy things and protect themselves from injury, but light enough to cover long distances efficiently.The concept of Supermedium applies in every area of our lives and provides a simple heuristic we can use to become better without burning out.
We need to make enough money to support our lifestyles, but not pursue it to such an extreme that it takes over our lives. We need to stay disciplined and make sacrifices to achieve our long-term goals, but not become so rigid that we lose the ability to enjoy life.
Pushing something to the extreme is counterproductive. Too much courage is rash. Too much money is unbecoming. Too much exercise means our bodies can’t recover.
Conversely, not enough courage is cowardice. Not enough money makes life challenging. Not enough exercise makes us sick.
Pursuing the middle ground is not trapping us in a life of mediocrity. Pursuing the middle ground provides a foundation of balance that allows us to enjoy every day and sustainably make meaningful progress on worthwhile pursuits.
Becoming Supermedium won’t get us on TV, make us millionaires, or allow us to break any world records, but it will make us healthier, happier, and create a lifestyle that accomplishes more than we ever thought possible without the consequences of chasing the extremes.
Become better, not the best
When we’re pursuing extremes we lose sight of what actually matters. Chasing the extremes of money, fame, or physical performance often become an obsession with winning.
However, a life well lived isn’t about winning. It’s about doing something meaningful and enjoying the time we spend doing it.
Rather than bragging about busyness and wearing the consequences of pursuing the extremes like badges of honor, we should idolize accomplishments earned without sacrifice.
We all want to become better, but we shouldn’t try to become the best.
Prompts
Where are you pursuing the extremes in life? What are the consequences?
What does Supermedium look like in the most important area of your life?
How can you shift your focus to becoming better instead of becoming the best?
Deep Dive
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Thanks for reading! I’ll see you next Sunday.
Kevin