My husband Zach is participating in a 21-day wellness challenge. Each day, he receives a short text message with his instructions.
The format goes something like this:
Day 1: Eat a protein-rich breakfast.
Day 2: Do 50 squats throughout the day.
Day 3: Put away digital screens an hour before bedtime.
I’m summarizing, but you get the gist.
Each item is very small, very simple, and (for most
participants) very doable.
So far, Zach has completed every day successfully. Each day, he feels a sense of accomplishment, momentum builds like a snowball tumbling down a hill, and it becomes easier to keep going.
There’s a lesson, here: don’t overdo it.
Many people (myself included) have a tendency to overcommit, overexert, and overdeliver.
Sometimes, we go overboard due to passion and exuberance ("Let's do this and this and thiiiiis!"). Other times, we overcompensate because we feel inadequate ("I'm not enough, so I need to do more...").
Here's an example that might feel relatable. You're designing a free challenge for your community and decide to give 21 assignments. Each assignment includes a lengthy explanation and takes at least 60 minutes to complete. In addition, you offer a series of 90-minute Zoom presentations, an eBook to read, worksheets to fill out, the option to upgrade to a VIP package, bonus gifts, an archive filled with 100 additional recordings and resources, and on, and on.
The result? The experience is overwhelming for the client and exhausting for the person creating it. Nobody wins.
By offering less, we help people achieve more.
Provide one polished, gleaming gem rather than a bucket of heavy rocks that people need to
sift through. Bless them with less.
