My car speedometer maxes out at 160 mph.
Imagine if you were to max my car's engine.
Imagine driving 160 mph on the freeway.
Imagine what it feels like.
The speed.
With windows down, imagine the intensity of the wind.
Imagine what your body might feel like at that moment.
Imagine the necessary response times with other vehicles on the road.
Speaking of other vehicles, imagine the other cars and people on the road, driving the speed limit.
Imagine how you might engage with them as you drive 160 mph and they're driving 65 mph.
Imagine how sustainable it would be for the engine on your car to drive, at all times, at the max speeds.
Now that you've imagined driving almost 2.5 times faster than everyone else, imagine the long-term effects of living at this speed.
Imagine what it does to your stress levels.
Imagine the amount of stimulation that happens in 1 minute driving at 160 mph versus 65 mph.
Imagine what it feels like in your body.
The truth is, my car cannot be driven at 160 mph.
Car manufacturers make a standard speedometer so they don't have to customize it for every type of car.
The desire to maximize is not only unsustainable, but it can cause our body to force a surrender.
Because the body cannot cope with such stress levels.
I've seen this story play out so many times, including in my own life.
I have pushed.
I have pushed more.
I have kept pushing.
And then physical symptoms force me to slow down.
To change the speed by which I exist at.
Because maximizing comes at the expense.
At the expense of our body – to maximize our time.
At the expense of other people – to maximize revenue.
At the expense of quality – to maximize speed and moving fast in business.
If this resonates, what do you sacrifice in the name of "maximizing" your efforts?
Maybe the answer is not in maximizing.
Maybe the answer is to optimize.
In the name of quality, efficiency, and a sustainable path forward.
