The 85% rule and why you should implement it this December.

The advice we hear a lot, especially approaching the end of the year, is to buckle up and boost up. Before entering a whole new year, make sure to hit every goal you’ve previously set. Little did we know, there is a better way to do it than to go full speed.

Giving your all should be done strategically. The best in the world know when to hit the pedal and pull the plug. This way, you’ll be able to strive for consistency and achieve multiple, continuous achievements instead of?just?one big break.

The optimal performance theories

There have been lots of theories that support the notion of optimal learning’s sweet spot being somewhere between not too easy and not too hard.

• Zone of proximal development, formulated by Lev Vygotsky, argues that tasks slightly beyond what we can do by ourselves, but can do with assistance from others, maximize learning.
• Zone of learnability,?conceptualized by Walter Kintsch, provides a similar account for text comprehension. If a text mostly says things you easily understand, you don’t invest much effort into getting what the text describes.
• Model of deliberate practice, created by Anders Ericsson, argues that when skills become automatic, we plateau at levels of ability far below our potential. To counter this, we need to return to the deliberate phase of learning.
• Theory of learned industriousness, stated by Robert Eisenberg, suggests that difficulty impacts demotivation. The sweet spot is where we work on problems we’re likely to succeed at, but are hard enough to encourage effort in the future.

Learn more about the idea behind the 85% rule?here.

How the 85% rule works

Research has found that when you have your best performances it's never when you're trying your hardest. Instead, setting your mindset to give 85% of everything you’ve got is much more effective.

In the thread posted to his 300k+ Twitter followers, Dan Go recites that at 85% you're not striving or straining by operating at the very limit of your ability; rather, you’ll have room to think, focus, and adapt. The keys to the 85% rule include:

1. Relax
2. Focus on optimizing your systems
3. Set your mind to 85% intensity
4. Work just below your maximum threshold
5. Stop when you feel close to 100% of your capacity

Read the full thread to learn more about the story behind the 85% rule?here.

Real-life practices

Though it might seem intimidating how it’s a favorite among the best of the best—from athletes like Bolt, Phelps, Curry, to Jackman, the 85% rule?is?applicable for people with ordinary jobs like most of us.

Avoid feeling rushed, forced, or under too much pressure, and find a balance between intensity, focus, and relax as you:

• Pitch an idea to a client
• Present a project to your team and related stakeholders
• Meet up with a client
• Put together a financial report
• + more!

A 15% decrease from 100% might seem too little, but it is more about our mental models than actual numbers or quantities.

Find more ways you can do to practice the 85% daily in the full article?here.

Will you be trying out the 85% rule for the rest of December, or better yet, throughout the year of 2023?

Let your colleagues and friends know of this secret ingredient for success, and create your #BiggestImpact for others!

See you next week for another encouraging?Monday Mavens?edition.