Balance or Obsession

Very few great things have ever been accomplished by someone who isn’t obsessed, out of balance, or even completely immersed in their passion. They forget all else going on around them to achieve something truly remarkable.

• Michelangelo worked 4 years, lying on back or head arched high, standing until his entire body ached, in cramped quarters and extreme heat for 10 hrs a day to paint the beautiful fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
• Tiger Woods golfed was on TV golfing at the age of 2, spending his childhood years learning to hit a ball precisely, rather than playing with friends, affording him the ability to win Major tournaments younger than anyone else, and win more than anyone other than Nicklas.
• Beethoven was forced by his father to play the piano even in the midst of tears, but his understanding of music allowed him to compose his most famous works long after he had lost all hearing.

Funny thing is that all great accomplishments are enviable, yet the lives of those who accomplished them rarely are.

Today’s world seems to honour lives lived in balance

Work/Life

Spend/Save

Treat Yourself/Eat Healthy

Most of us probably want to do something great. Be apart of something truly memorable or remarkable. But really, very few of us are prepared to sacrifice what it would take to get there.

We see the result or performance, and figure that person just randomly got there.

• Kelly Clarkson won American Idol and achieved her fame right?  (We don’t want to think about the years of coaching/training in high school, the scholarships she was awarded for vocal to multiple universities. Working part time jobs to finance the creation of her own demo tape. Look it up - Wikipedia style)
• Mark Zuckerberg just hit the jackpot with Facebook right? (No he was writing test software in middle school and hired a personal tutor to coach him through his teen years.)
• Tom Brady wins superbowls because the Patriots cheat and he's just lucky right?  (Actually he has a two year training program mapped out including diet, rest and exercise. He's painstakingly obsses over every detail of his life to keep in shape to be able to compete at the highest level.)

Even the people we think just got lucky made their luck.

But balance really is a more enviable life than obsession. I prefer working for a boss who is balanced and allows me to have balance. I prefer that my wife and family keeps balance in how hard we work and how much we play. Balance is great.

It just doesn’t lead to Sistine chapels and Superbowls.
Very few of us will ever have the stomach to sacrifice everything that is required to achieve true greatness... and that's OK.

When I'm sitting down with my family and friends to watch the Superbowl I don't want to tune in a see me (a guy who played a little bit, practiced at 50% and then went out with the guys). I want to see finely tuned machines obsessed with a game.
It's an obsession.
It's entertainment.
It draws us all to watch and cheer the dedication to greatness.

Do lean more to obsessed or balance? Leave a comment. Love to start a conversation.