The Law of Equal Effort: How to Achieve Your Goals and Avoid Fatigue

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

It doesn't matter if you want to run a marathon, start your own business, or build a happy relationship, the law of equal effort will help you find the right pace to overcome any obstacles on the way to your goal.

I ran my eighth marathon a few weeks ago. But I can hardly be called the world's premier running expert. I never strictly adhered to a training schedule, did not hire a coach, did not join a running club. And I'm not running very fast: my personal best is only 3:49:00. But I always finish.

Preparation is important, but the right approach helps me even more, which works in other areas of life.

I call this the Law of Equal Effort, and it is surprisingly simple: no matter what challenges life throws at you, make equal efforts.

According to my theory, progress over a long period of time can be significant, it can be imperceptible, but the main thing is that in the end you come to the desired result and feel better.

This approach is important because it will give you confidence when the long term challenge lies ahead: you can keep things under control. Of course, one cannot know for sure when it will be difficult and when it will be easy. But you can decide for yourself how to react to ups and downs.

And here's how to properly apply the law of equal effort in everyday life. We'll cover this approach in three situations: when you need to run a marathon, start a business, or build a relationship.

1. Determine your "perpetual" pace

Every long distance runner understands how important pace is. The idea is simple: when you need to travel a certain distance, you need to adhere to the required speed. If you succeed, you will come to the finish line on time.

If you move too fast, there is a risk of burnout and either not reaching the finish line or showing poor results. Any marathon runner will confirm to you: running at a speed higher than the set pace will lead to torment.

It doesn't matter how slowly you go, as long as you don't stop. Confucius ancient Chinese thinker and philosopher

I know my "eternal" pace: one mile in 9 minutes 45 seconds. At this speed, I feel like I can run like this … forever, no matter where I run or how much I have to run. For a marathon - a race where time is limited - my optimal pace should be 8 minutes 45 seconds per mile. If I keep this pace, I will finish and I will be proud of my result.

The main point from all of the above is this: to finish the race, you need to make an equal effort over time.

The idea of an "eternal" pace is applicable to any area of life: knowing it, you will make the right decisions and overcome serious challenges.

Pace for business

Let's say you want to start your own business. First, ask yourself: is this a passion that you would like to devote your whole life to, or is it a project that you are going to sell in a few years? The pace will differ depending on the goal.

If you want to do this business all your life, you need to choose a pace that you can keep forever. No, this does not mean that you will not be able to do something else in the future. But if you do not immediately determine your "eternal" pace, you will quickly waste energy and want to give up everything.

If you want to sell a project in a couple of years, ask yourself two questions.

• What needs to be done in the next two years?
• What is the pace you need to keep to get it done on time?

It may be difficult for you to push yourself towards your goal, but at least you will know the right pace. This means, to understand when you are moving too fast (there is a risk of exhaustion), and when - too slow (there is a risk of not reaching the goal).

The pace for the relationship

Let's say you're trying to build a relationship with a new friend or partner. Of course, the relationship does not have an end date that you know in advance. Therefore, the pace that you can keep all the time is important.

If you act too quickly, you may lose interest in the other person. Or your partner will get tired, who needs personal space. If you act too slowly, you will be frustrated by the lack of progress, or the other person may think that you are indifferent to them.

It doesn't matter what you're working on: training for a marathon, business development, relationships, or anything else. By finding the right pace, you can get what you want at the right time.

2. When you need to deviate from the pace

Knowing your "eternal" pace, you understand how much effort you need to put in to reach your goal. For example, if I want to beat my personal best in a marathon, I must maintain a pace of at least 8 minutes 44 seconds per mile throughout the race.

The problem is that there is a lot of unpredictability in life. This is where the Equal Effort Law comes in.

In a marathon, physical complications arise: you run more slowly uphill. Or, joint pain may suddenly appear. There are also psychological complications. At the start of a marathon, you are surrounded by energetic people, you feel energized and ready to run 26 miles at a sprint pace. By the end, it is hard for you and you are surrounded by the same emaciated people. Because of this, I want to run slower, although there is very little left to the finish line.

The beginner runner usually does not attach importance to the pace, despite the fact that it is necessary at least to try to stick to it. The beginner starts to worry and runs too fast at the start, not realizing that he immediately spends all the strength that would be useful to him at the end. Or it starts to accelerate on a difficult climb, when it would be more logical to slow down. This scenario leads to quick burnout and poor results in the end.

I try to make an equal effort throughout the race. In the beginning, when everyone is accelerating, I restrain myself: I will need these forces later. Towards the end, I use this energy and the rest of the runners start to slow down.

Equally important, I don't try to keep up the pace no matter what. If I see a rise in front of me, I slowly and calmly run up the hill. On the descent, I start to run faster to compensate for the time difference.

The Law of Equal Effort for Business

Starting a business is like a roller coaster ride. Sometimes things go well. And the next day - "how terrible everything is, I want to give up everything."

When problems arise, it makes sense that you want to work your hardest. Spend more time at work, exercise willpower. But here's what happens next: either you feel exhausted and give up, or you are so exhausted and it takes so long to recharge that you slide back into trouble again.

The result is a vicious circle: you work hard when you need to relax, and slow down when you need a jerk. This unhealthy behavior doesn't get you any closer to your goal.

You need to do the opposite. When the hard times - the hills - come, keep working at the same rhythm. You certainly won't make much progress this way. But you will still have the strength to take off when everything changes for the better - on the descent.

The Law of Equal Effort for Relationships

Think of any romantic comedy: when something goes wrong in a relationship, it's time to step up and steer them in the right direction.

But anyone with a long-term, happy relationship will tell you: real life doesn't work that way. You spend all your energy trying to cope with problems, and you can no longer feel happier when you return to your normal life. This is the main reason for the next crisis.

But what if instead of wasting your moral resources, you slow down a bit? Try to approach problem solving in a calm, measured way. When everything is back to normal, you use these powers to make your relationship even better.

It is extremely difficult to make progress in a relationship when times are tough. Trust is lost, it is easy to hurt each other's feelings, and you go into defensive mode. The more effort you put in, the worse it gets. But if you carefully try to get the relationship back to normal, you can make more progress. And when you are happy and moving in the right direction, there are fewer and fewer difficult times.

3. When the law of equal effort doesn't work

The Law of Equal Effort rarely fails, but there are circumstances when it should not be used.

1. Existential risk. When you are on the verge of collapse, the Law of Equal Effort will not help. This could be a major crisis in your company. Or the husband / wife / business partner is heading for the door right now. Pull yourself together and fight - and later you will deal with the consequences.
2. Severe burnout. If you have already spent energy and are ready to give up everything, take a break. No, you won't be able to keep pace, but at least you will get to the finish line. Attempts to combat severe burnout usually don't work.
3. The finale is in sight. The law of equal effort should be immediately forgotten as soon as the ending looms in front of you. When you see the finish tape, you don't need to conserve strength for later use. Let the adrenaline rush you to the end even faster. Yes, after the finish you will collapse in exhaustion, but what difference does it make?

If you are a highly motivated person, the Law of Equal Effort will seem unnatural and even wrong at first. But if you try to stick with it at least for a while, you will see that it works great in a wide variety of areas of life.

It works because you put in the same efforts, but you know how to combine them with the uncontrollable circumstances of life. You don't throw yourself into a fight unnecessarily. You stay happy and motivated throughout the entire process. And when you are happy and motivated, you have a better chance of success and achieving your goals.