More is rarely better.
The most pernicious belief in sports:
More is always better.
Whether spoken or unspoken, this belief permeates the way most inside athletics organizations believe is the single optimal path for improvement.
Yet, we know from countless lines of research that more is simply a recipe for burnout, torn muscles, disengagement, and other forms of injury.
We also know that rest consolidates learning, rebuilds muscle, enhances memory, and improves performance.
So what are we doing?
I think we’re selling the myth that you can get any result you want by working hard.
That sounds nice, but reality suggests winning, for example, takes a lot more than hard work. It takes talent, a good team, and a bit of luck.
Getting a promotion takes hard work, but also takes the right time, a good boss, and an organization with flexibility.
Nothing, not even hard work, can account for every outcome.
We’d be better off promoting the benefits of hard work AND recovery for getting the outcomes we want, though.
Today’s challenge is straightforward.
Commit to cutting something and using that time to rest.
If you want to get better, it’s a non-negotiable.