The surprising reason you're not growing online

Hey passionate creator,

Last weekend I sat on the edge of my seat as Harry Kane took a penalty against France in the quarter finals of the World Cup. You could see the immense pressure he felt just by looking at him. And I’m sure he gave it his all. But maybe that's why he missed the penalty. 

We can learn a lot from athletes when it comes to teamwork, perseverance, determination and success. And Harry Kane’s missed penalty was a reminder to not give it your all.

An athlete who demonstrates this strategy well is Carl Lewis. He won 9 gold medals and held the world record in the 100 meters for years. What’s most interesting about him, is that he wasn't in the lead throughout most of his races. Usually he’d be somewhere in the middle before going on to win.

You probably imagine that towards the end of the race he went full throttle. But that’s not the case. He ran from start to finish with the same pace, style, and parameters. He was steady and relaxed throughout.

Lewis didn’t give 100% of his efforts throughout the race. That would tire him out too early. He also didn’t give 50% for most of the race and then 100% at the end either. Instead he gave 85% throughout.

This has become known as The 85% rule.

Without realising it, you’ve probably experienced this for yourself. You do your best work or get in a flow state when you’re not trying to. Your work feels easy and natural, and you get more done than when you give it your 100%.

Trying too hard by giving something your 100% might look like hard work and drive, but it's usually a story of impatience and insecurities. You try too hard when you know you’ve got a deadline. You try too hard when you’re rushing to build an audience. You try to hard when you doubt the quality of your product.

85% is confidence and ease. It allows your mind to be more relaxed which allows you to produce better results.

As a former workaholic who’s prone to burnout, the 85% rule has been a breath of fresh air. It’s helped me to bring a sense of calm into my work, find more creative ideas, and go with the flow a lot more.

Trying too hard pushes against what's natural. So loosen the reigns and unwrap better results at 85%.

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Stay passionate,

Akta