The important thing is

That those 20 boys know in 20 years,

They didn’t leave anything on the table.

They played their hearts out.

That’s the important thing.

Herb Brooks

Coach of 1980 US Hockey Team

Imagine that you are shopping for life insurance to protect your family, who are the most important thing in the world to you.

There is a one-million-dollar policy that costs $1,000 a year and covers your family every day of the year.

There is another one-million-dollar policy which only costs $500 a year but doesn’t cover your family on Fridays; if you were to die on a Friday, the policy wouldn’t payout to your family.

Which one would you choose?

Sounds silly right?

Why would someone care enough to take out life insurance but leave themselves vulnerable on Fridays?

It may not be as important as life insurance for your family, but only giving 99% effort towards your goal is the same thing.

Why would you care enough to do 99% only to leave yourself vulnerable by the 1% left undone?

Once it was all said and done, and my wrestling career was over, and I had time to reflect, I realized a major lesson in my wrestling journey was learning to give my all.

100% of it.

Not holding back.

Learning to be all in.

All the time.

No matter what.

Having no vulnerabilities in effort.

I was best able to give 100% by concentrating on what was important and learning to control what I could control.

To not be distracted by the constant noise of life.

Always being on an ongoing journey towards my vision.

When I did that, I was able to live with any outcome, because I knew I did everything I could, there wasn’t one more thing I possibly could have done.

And, then and only then, could I live with any, and all, results.

With no regret.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned from the sport of wrestling is that the outcome isn’t the goal.

Your output is.

You can’t control the outcome.

You can control your output.

The goal is to give 100% of what you have.

And then you can live with any outcome.

100% effort kills regret.

If you give 99%, your peace of mind will be vulnerable for life.

For every 1% that you hold back, is an additional

1% chink in your armor.

For every 1% that you hold back is 1% that goes in your opponent’s opportunity column.

So, don’t hold back.

Don’t pace yourself.

Don’t save some for later.

Why in the world would you be willing to do 99% and then not be willing to do 1% more?

Most people leave the remaining 1% undone because the last 1% is tolling.

The truth is it requires much more effort than it numerically suggests.

There are very few people willing to do significantly more work than 1% to only get 1% in return.

It seems like an unfair trade.

I’m telling you to gladly pay significantly more for the final 1%.

Because what people fail to realize is that last 1% returns to you so much more.

It takes you to a new level.

If you have been fastidious enough to give to 99% effort, one, give yourself credit and then two, go back to work to give the other 1%.

All you can give is all that you have.

Give it all.

And you will always be at peace with yourself.

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“99 Effort Is Not Enough”

Is a chapter from the newly released,

“Wrestling Rules for Life”