#6 - Find your 88%.

I’ve always had a passion for numbers and optimization. Even at the ripe age of 3 years old, I was captivated by mechanical odometers and when the numbers would rotate to say a milestone like 20,000 or 33,333 miles. My mom would always make sure I was in the car for when the numbers rolled over not only in our car, but in friend's cars. I'm not sure what that was all about. Today, they'd probably medicate me for that type of behavior.

By the time I reached the 8th grade, my lazy and oh-so-clever 13-year old brain had developed a keen understanding that with 50% effort, I could eke out a pleasant B+ (about 88%), an optimal grade for me, or so I figured at the time. To get that parent-pleasing A or A- was going to require an 90%-100% effort - not worth to my teenage boy brain. I mean, for 1/2 the work, I could achieve a respectable result and free my time up for other "creative teenage pursuits" such as exploring the woods and beaches near my home or skating on mostly frozen ponds in the winter time (yes, I fell through a few times and lived to tell about it).

Fate or not, this concept of efficiency and trade-offs drew me to the fields of economics and psychology like the proverbial moth to flame. My maniacal focus was on identifying the optimal balance between input and output, cost and benefit. Being of practical sort, I took these principle of optimization beyond textbook academics and applied them to various aspects of life from relationships to recreational activities like boating* (I told you I had issues). Basically, I was a walking prequel to the seminal book, Freakonomics.

When it comes to working on projects and accomplishing goals, the same principle applies. Going full throttle may provide a temporary boost in speed or performance, but it often comes at the cost of increased resource consumption. resulting in inefficiency and burnout. A decent effort to achieve solid and sustainable results, rather than constantly striving for perfection usually makes more sense.

You may ask, "what about surgeons and air traffic controllers with real lives in their hands?". Good point. For them, a "straight A may be the only way". On the other hand, if they are exhausted from pushing themselves too hard, they are more likely to make an error, which in their case is potentially catastrophic. So my optimization argument still applies to the Perfection Industries.

Now, here’s the rub on my 88% solution. Optimization levels vary for everyone - We’re all different - with various commitments and challenges. My 88% might be your 98% or 78%. No judgment. We're all unique. I'm biased. Being a product of the 80's, my Doc Brown approved 88% works best in most situations for most people, optimization is subjective and can mean different things to different people. For me, aiming for an 88% was my optimization, while others may strive for an "A" or be content with a "C+". You be you.

And if it’s perfection you require in your profession, (aircraft pilots, surgeons), then what systems can you put into place that will allow you to achieve 100% while putting in 9X% effort? That’s the question. Checklists, procedures, etc that can help reduce your intensity while still meeting the demands of the job at hand.

How To Find Your Optimization Level?

Not that I won’t challenge you with your idea of what optimization means. If you’re beating yourself up trying to get to your level of optimization, I’ll challenge you to rethink that effort. Ask yourself these questions:

Is what I'm doing worth it?

• Would my time and energy be better spent elsewhere?

• What are I trying to optimize?

• If it’s a particular situation, what does it demand (70%, 80%, 95%?).

*It's a well known fact, that when operating a power boat, maximum efficiency is achieved when the engines are running at 60 – 80% of full throttle. This sweet spot allows for maximum fuel efficiency, as the engines burn only 40-60% of its maximum fuel consumption at that speed (and preserves engine longevity as well). So, when I was boating, I only rarely ran my boat at full throttle usually "peacocking" as we charged towards a harbor entrance.