Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

Happy Friday Friends,

We’ve all been there.You’re halfway through a workout.You’re ¾ of the way through painting your kid's room.You’re about to re-write a blog post for the 13th time that week.

We’ve all been at a point in our lives when we ask ourselves the very simple question; “Is it worth it?”

That thought process happens tens of thousands of times in our lifetime. Is the reward at the end of the process worth the energy and time the process is taking?Right now though let’s look at why we question if the lemon is worth squeezing. And, let’s also try to answer when the lemon is worth squeezing. The answers will likely depend on your mindset at a specific moment but that’s ok.

A few years back I was a Crossfit “Athlete”. Insert group eye roll from the audience.The question of reward vs effort was an almost daily question for me when I did Crossfit. Very specifically during 40-minute WODS (workout of the day). Generally, this would entail many exercises, some weight-focused and others pure cardio-focused. We’d slog our way through a circuit for 40 minutes.

The theme was always the same;5 mins: I’ve got this, Coach was off the mark this week.15 min: I’m a little gassed but surprised at how well I’m tracking.20 mins: I’m still in the top 5 in the class, this is going to be ok.30 mins: Holy shit how can there be another 10 minutes?35 mins: Surely it’s been more than 5 minutes since the last time I checked?37 mins: WHY THE F*CK AM I DOING THIS!?!

At least twice per week, I would have a strong internal discussion with myself (mid my 5th burpee set) about why I do this. What do I get out of these sessions that I am punishing myself like this? “Seriously dickhead, what’s the reward? Stop now!”

If you’re thinking that the workout analogy isn’t a good example because it’s obvious why we work out. Some rewards aren’t instant but the feel-good factor is usually instant. Even if you’re hating life mid-workout, you’ll always feel great afterwards.

Ok, I hear you. How about in your job? Think about your current work situation right now. If you’re an outlier and love what you do then rewind a few years to a role or job you weren’t in love with.

You’re sitting at your desk. You’ve just stepped out of a “quarterly review” with your manager. They’ve informed you that your work has been good but it hasn’t been good enough to justify the raise you’ve been holding out for. You sit at your laptop every day and ask yourself - is this shit worth it? Don’t tell me you haven’t! I will call bullshit on that immediately.

I could give you another page of examples but half my readers would close the window at that point. We all know that we continue doing the hard things because of some reward at the end of the tunnel.

So how do we decide if the reward is worth the journey?

Often we’re presented with the reward before we have seen the map for the journey. It seems like an impossible task then to make the “right” decision. Can we find a system or values to follow that would help us? We cannot review every situation but we can find the right system to help us make the decisions.

Let’s put our positive hats on and learn something.

Mental StrengthPushing through tough times is a reward in itself. It’s in the solo, gut-checking moments that we discover our limits. And, more often than not we realise our minds and bodies can go much further than we think they can.

Physical and mental resilience is not built from doing the easy reps. We all know we need both of these to have a long, healthy and successful life.

Hush The NoiseWe all have that internal voice telling us what we can’t do. I’ve discussed this many times in previous blogs. Putting yourself in challenging situations and fighting your way out the other side is invaluable. It’s a massive F**CK YOU to your negative inner voice.

1% BetterI have a personal goal. Be 1% better today than I was yesterday.I think everyone should have this goal.A big driver for trudging through the hip-deep, stinking sludge is that I know it will make me that little bit better than I was yesterday.Stronger, fitter, more flexi, more competent, more informed… The list goes on.

FocusI have issues with focus.Don’t think you’re special because I guarantee that you do also.The fact that we’re nonsurgically (for now) attached to some sort of technology for 16-18 hours a day means you don’t have a say in the matter. So, being deep in a workout or trying to solve an impossible task requires focus. Focus on that one thing for that minute, and only that minute.

It is so rare to have such a single focus on something and I love it. It is also a challenging skill to master but, if you force yourself into these situations you don’t have a choice but to focus.

Now as always let’s put the fluff aside and discuss some of the hidden realities you may not be seeing.

Emotional TollAre you deep in the trenches for money? For the love of the battle? Or for the pure experience. It doesn’t matter what your answer is if there is an emotional and mental toll on you. If you are spending hours of your life doing something that is draining you and not contributing to your well-being then stop.

Immediately!Life is too short and nothing is worth that.

SacrificesWe get nothing for nothing in this world. You’re not getting a big reward or even reaching the end of the tunnel without giving up something along the way. Waking up at 5 am every morning to get your miles in before a marathon is a great idea. You know you’re going to improve your time on the day. But, are you prepared to sacrifice time on the couch with your partner because you’re now going to bed at 9 pm?

There are 2 key questions you need to ask yourself; what sacrifices are you prepared to make? And, how much can you tolerate?

Judging Ourselves Based on AchievementsWe walk a fine line when grinding towards what we think will be a rewarding outcome. What if we don’t get there? Or, worse, what if we get there but it’s not what we thought it would be?

We risk judging ourselves based on the achievements we have or haven’t reached. We cannot judge our success or personal growth on 1 variable! You will be discounting the journey and what you’ve achieved on the way - that would be a shame.

Time is Your Biggest RiskThe last and most important reality I want to make you aware of when thinking about committing to something is your time.I constantly write about this because so many people don’t get it. Time is a finite resource. And, it’s your most precious resource.

Think very carefully about the time you’re choosing to put into a project and if the outcomes you’re expecting will be worth that time. By saying yes to this what other potential options have you said no to?

Rewards are usually at the end of the road. Will that reward still be worth it for us when we get there? Will we ever know if the juice is worth the squeeze?Unfortunately, we won’t know until we’ve made the sacrifices, lost many hours of sleep and burned time we cannot get back.

That is why I am encouraging you to think carefully about your why. And then when you do jump in, make sure you’re focusing on all the right things not just the outcome.

This means you not only have the will to do this and move on in life. But, also have faith in finding something else that is valuable. This will bring light to the meaningful items already in your life and help you find new ones as well.

Peace, love & muscles,Jazza

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