Here’s what nobody tells you about making effort:
When you push hard in one area, another slides.
Start that intensive workout routine? Your body’s going to revolt.
Launch that side hustle? Your relationship gets neglected.
Focus on financial discipline? Your social life withers.
Prioritize work success? Your health takes a beating.
This isn’t failure, and it’s not set in stone, but just some examples for you to ponder.
The point is – you have finite energy, attention, and willpower. It’s not a weakness, it’s called being a human.
The solution isn’t more discipline.
It’s more about strategic trade-offs:
- Accept that seasons exist—sometimes career demands sacrifice social time
- Automate what you can’t maintain—set up systems before diving deep elsewhere
- Communicate your focus—tell people what you’re prioritizing and what might slip
- Plan the recovery—know which area you’ll re-balance after this intense focused time.
The best part?
We can choose how much we slide consciously instead of letting it happen accidentally.
What effort are you about to make? What will likely slip as a result? How can you plan for that instead of pretending it won’t happen?
Excellence requires trade-offs, so make them intentionally.
Joe DiAndrea 