Why does it seem like you can’t throw a paper airplane in some offices without hitting a person who is training for a marathon, planning a 10-day silent meditation retreat, or intending on scaling Kilimanjaro? On top of working 24/7 for a company that doesn’t pay overtime? Extremism is becoming the norm not only in our professional lives but increasingly in our personal lives as well, from politics and parenting to food and fitness.
Summary.
You can’t throw a paper airplane in some offices without hitting a person who is training for a marathon, planning a 10-day silent meditation retreat, or intending on scaling Kilimanjaro. Workaholism is a badge of honor, and extremism is becoming the norm not only in our professional lives but increasingly in our personal lives as well. Extreme parents overinvest in building competitive kids. People take up sports to find some balance in their lives — and get caught up becoming triathletes. What if, instead, we embraced extreme moderation, extreme balance? What if instead of giving 110% to everything, we gave just 80%? So many of us say we want balance, but maybe we aren’t extreme enough in our devotion to this ideal.