Marathons vs Sprints

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The Downsides Of Sprints

The Upsides Of Sprints

• They push us outside of our comfort zone, thus increasing it

• They give us momentum on new projects

• They generate motivation, focus and commitment that can boost enthusiasm even after the sprint is over

• They’re a forcing function for finding clarity on whatever you’re creating

• They expand what we think is possible

• They push us to the brink and teach us about ourselves

• They inspire us to see what we’re capable of

• We grow at a faster rate

• They help us set perfectionism aside

• They inspire new types of creativity**

The Upsides Of Marathons

• Getting a little bit better every day

• At a sustainable pace

• In order to get compounding gains

• And to live a holistic life

The Downsides Of Marathons

• It’s comfortable to push ourselves just a little hard, but not too hard

• This means we may avoid challenges far outside our comfort zone which would’ve actually been a huge positive in our life

• There are certain life lessons we only learn when we’re far outside of our comfort zone

• We miss out on the chance to take moon shots that require the ability to sprint for long periods of time

• We miss out on short-lived windows of opportunity

Pay Attention To The Signs That The Sprint Period Should End

• Waking up consistently without energy (chronic stress can wear out your adrenal glands and making you susceptible to adrenal fatigue)

• Arguments with the people close to you

• Needing more and more caffeine to stay afloat

• Work becoming harder and harder to do at a high level

• Not having enough personal time compared to your needs

• Other people in your life picking up your slack and building up resentment

• Difficulty letting go of work even when you’re not working

• Loss of satisfaction in the things you normally enjoy (anhedonia)

• Having emotional bank accounts with your friends, wife, and kids that are gaining interest

• Being aware of and attentive to how the people around you are feeling

• Noticing when things are off early on and correcting them (“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”)

• Having time to reflect deeply on your life and unlock personal growth opportunities that will change the trajectory of your lived experience

• Etc.

Pay Attention To Signs That A Sprint Should Start

• A genuine time-sensitive opportunity

• A crisis period that’s do or die

• A general feeling that you are being complacent

• A desire to push yourself harder and the buffer to be able to do so without your life falling apart

• A project that you’re never going to get done unless you give it total focus

• A project that you’ve been procrastinating starting out of perfectionism

• An experiment that’s incompatible with your marathon mode routine

• A desire to reconnect more deeply with your big picture purpose

Take Action

• Are there any areas of your life right now where you’re sprinting, and you should switch into marathon mode?

• Are there any areas of your life right now where you’re in a marathon mode, and you should switch into sprinting?