Going all in is considered a virtue: a plethora of entrepreneurs, successful actors are put onto a pedestal and preach giving all they got as their recipe to success.
But is it really necessary and sustainable to burn the bridges and march forward?
First, selection bias already confounds the merit of that attitude: we do not hear from people who burned themselves out by going all in. Maybe there is only as much relationship between the number of films starring Nicholas Cage and the number of people who drowned by falling into a pool; maybe, there is more. This ridiculous example shows how absurd it can be to attribute something to causation when it is due to correlation. When things get more complex, it ceases to be evident.
As in my post about The Scientist of Peter Medawar, persistence is praised as a quality of a good scientist. Pushing hard to be on the frontiers of science seems to align with persistence. But does that mean going all in?
In the short term, persistence and going all in might match, but in the long term, they differ significantly: perseverance is the constant effort of sticking with the endeavor through thick and thin, whereas going all in is more like a dash to the finish. I am not to downplay the merit of a concentrated effort to finish something, but I am stressing that we should select our modus operandi via a long-term analysis.
The problem is that going all in is not sustainable over a longer time period. That is, not without help. I mean relaxation, sleep, friends and family; however, I also must add substances that deceive their users with the perception of sustainability, like (excessive) energy drinks or caffeine.
It is alluring to perform at the highest levels. It boosts our egos and makes us feel good. It signals our capabilities and devotion. We desire to maintain the output of a sprint to last a marathon. Which will not work. Though we still want to do it. We better learn that
the brave is not who never admits defeat, but who recognizes its own limits.
It is not the pessimist’s resignation but the acceptance of the uncertainty and our vulnerabilities. It is standing up after our egos got bruised.
Defeat is a part of the path, but not the path itself: namely, we are only using our capabilities according to the user manual, which says: recharge occasionally. It is no wonder that several successful athletes would give their young selves the advice to rest more. Rest is not a bug; it is a feature; particularly, sleep is when you get stronger and smarter when your brain processes your experiences. Let Kevin Kelly say that for me:
If you don't know what you need, it is probably sleep.
Fiddling with sleep will take a toll on our mind and body, requiring even higher effort for the same performance, resulting in the epitome of a positive feedback loop. Not positive as good, but positive as self-reinforcing and doomed-to-fail.
However, our bodies have reserves, which we can and should use to grow. Stretching ourselves will result in growth: we can reach for the stars but should not have unrealistic expectations.
Going all in has its dangers by making it more likely to cheat. Because we want to perceive we perform well, that we advance with our projects, and that we are getting better. We define our identities as the people who succeed, which makes us fragile. The problem is that we often fail to see the small improvements, though that is how sustainable, long-term progress looks like. We should tune our antennae to be more sensitive to the signal in the noise.
This entanglement between the sense of self and performance might be a reason why you want to avoid situations like that of Danielle Steel and the Tragic Appeal of Overwork. It is partially about framing: if you frame your goal as not being the best, but being the best in showing up, then you do not feel your identity endangered when you fail (which you will).
Diversity can also help performance: when we do not concentrate on one aspect of our lives, then we can do better. This advice is counterintuitive at first since why would spending time with friends, doing sports, reading, listening to music, etc., help? For me, this was one of my strong convictions loosely held that I needed to change. This is also where the persistent scientist from The Scientist of Peter Medawar needs to beware: working always will not work. Persistence is not achieved by going all in; it is mastered via small steps forward. If you have ever experienced cutting the Gordian knot in the shower or while running, you know the feeling. The point is that it is not a coincidence, e.g., it is shown that movement improves divergent thinking. The Ancient Greeks already “knew” this: it might be no coincidence that their scholars discussed important matters while on foot. The mantra I am telling myself (partially also to justify my love of sports) that
It is part of my job to get on my bike, in my running shoes, or into a boat.
It might feel like hubris, or self-deception, but when you get the umpteenth good idea while not working, then that evidence is hard to ignore.
Know your limits.
As the anecdote goes: someone says to the writer Joseph Heller of Catch 22 fame, and says, “Joe, see that guy over there? He’s a hedge fund manager, and he made more money yesterday than you made on all the books you have ever published.” Heller looks over, pauses, and says,
Yeah, but I have something he’ll never have: enough.
Enough could mean that you choose consistency over a constant sprint. It can mean you don't trade sleep for more and more work. Even in ultramarathons, the deciding factor is how slow you walk and hike, not how fast you run. You might need to go slow to go fast.
Actionable advice
To avoid the perception of no progress, some people keep a have-done list: this cousin of the to-do list ensures that you see your progress clearly.
Resist the urge to dash. You know better: consistency is what counts in the long run.
When you need to sprint, let that be a mindful decision with an end date set in stone and plenty of rest afterward.
Do not let success define your identity. Be the one who shows up and does the work.