64. Moderation in Moderation

Why Being Your Best Requires Going All In

I follow the diet of moderation. I more or less eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and somehow, my body weight and fat percentage remain relatively unchanged as I watch time go by.

This is what I tell my personal training clients when they ask me about my own habits. It’s my truthful answer. I don’t have a strategy or special method. I just eat in moderation.

What this means is that I don’t eat too much of any one thing or at any one time. When there’s desert I’ll have some, but I won’t eat a family size bag of chips by myself. I’ll go to restaurants now and again, have fast food from time to time and have a few drinks on the weekend, but I won’t string a line of days together like that because that would be a bit too indulgent.

Okay you get it, but now I want you to circle back to when I said I remain relatively unchanged with my efforts to eat in moderation.

If I was looking for physical change, you know what I’d do?

I’d abandon moderation.

I’d create a strategy. I’d track my calories. I’d map out my meals and put a timeline on how long I’d do so. I’d set a clear target of what I was trying to accomplish and prioritize the most efficient way for me to get there. I’d wake up and know exactly what I’m eating or not eating for breakfast, and if someone asked me to hang out and have a couple beers, I’d say no.

Moderation is a wonderful strategy for a lot of things. In fact, there’s that phrase that we all love: “everything in moderation”.

Here’s a phrase I like better: “moderation in moderation”.

Nobody ever achieved something extraordinary with moderation. The top achievers in the world didn’t become the people they are, the people we aspire to be like, by adopting the strategy everything in moderation.

There are no books written about people who went a little in on an idea.

Those who are remembered, those that make a mark on the world and those whose stories inspire us went all in.

This is the difference between superstars and stars. Superstars don’t moderately hone their craft. “They live it.” ??

Tyler Ennis was a junior hockey star. He made the NHL and then sputtered. He played on a bunch of teams, signed a bunch of one year contracts and was eventually shown the door to retirement.

Listen to him talk about 2 of the greatest players you’ll ever see. The best of the best are a different breed he says. They live the game, and as a result, they can do things that nobody else can.

People will write books about Connor McDavid, and the reason is because of his relentless dedication to his craft. Just listen to Tyler Ennis. He’s not a guy with relentless dedication to his craft.

Now, you can be sure that in the books to come about arguably the best hockey player there’s ever been that they might document some of the sacrifices he had to make to do what he’s done.

I don’t know how well he treats people. I don’t know what his personal relationships are like. I don’t know if he handles his money well and plans for the future or if he has a gambling problem. I just know he’ll retire as one of the best to ever play the sport.

What have you gone all in on?

If the only place you’ve lived is in moderation, the answer is nothing, and maybe that’s okay.

I’m not here to suggest we all have to strive to be the best there’s ever been at what we do. However, let’s recognize that each of us are the only one’s with the opportunity to play the hand of cards we’ve been dealt.

Nobody else is in the same scenario as you.

If you don’t go all in on something, nobody gets the reward of what could happen if you did. You are unique, and what you have to offer cannot be duplicated because nobody shares your story.

Take your thoughts away from sports or other activities in the public eye for a moment. What if you went all in on being the best parent to your kids anyone could ever imagine? What would happen?

What if you decided nobody would ever be as good as you at being a spouse and you went all in on that idea?

What if you didn’t just fantasize about applying for a new job, or starting a business, or travelling the world, or adopting a child, or starting a podcast, or getting into the best shape of your life?

What if you went all in?

I know moderation is key in many elements of our day to day lives. TV, social media, food and the like. Some can be good, but there needs to be a limit. There needs to be moderation.

At the same time, I know firsthand that moderation does not lead you to your potential.

I tried to open a gym and be a full time real estate agent at the same time. My only option was to do both in moderation. I couldn’t go all in on either avenue, so my success with both was limited.

It wasn’t until I shut down one avenue that I could actually proceed full speed down the other.

Moderation would not allow me to create anything successful, but I think I know what you’re thinking.

This does not mean we can only do one thing at a time. This does not mean I say bah humbug to balance.

It means you have to know your own identity. You have to know who you are and what you’re doing. You have to have a reason for what you go all in on. You have to know your priorities. You have to understand that you can do anything, just not everything.

If you want to go all in with your family and be the greatest dad/mom/uncle/relative there’s ever been and do it for them, you can’t do it part time. You can’t show up for them on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You can’t be who they need you to be only 80 percent of the time and allow a 20 percent buffer in case you’re not in the mood or in case plans change.

So here’s what I suggest. Go all in on you.

When it comes to being the best version of yourself, abandon moderation.

Write down who you are, and if you don’t like what you write, write down who you want to be.

The picture of your best self is the most important picture to keep in focus.

Do it for the people who rely on you. Go all in on you for them.

I can’t tell you what that looks like. I don’t know your potential, I just know it’s more than you think.

Whatever it takes to inch closer to who you’re made to be is what we should be going all in on.

That might mean the moderation diet. It might mean some chips but not the whole bag. It might mean some TV just not a whole series in one go. It might mean a bit less time with some people and a bit more with others.

Whatever the case, try keeping your moderation in moderation. The book they’ll write about you requires it.

— Cody

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See you next Thursday.