Just 4%

Looking to get into the zone of your potential?

Kotler says to do that requires stretching just ‘4 percent’ past your comfort zone…

“How hard is that? Answers vary, but the general thinking is about 4 percent. That’s it. That’s the sweet spot. If you want to trigger flow, the challenge should be 4 percent greater than the skills. In technical terms, the sweet spot is the end result of what’s known as the Yerkes-Dodson law—the fact that increased stress leads to increased performance up to a certain point…This is why the challenge/skills ratio is so important. If we want to achieve the kinds of accelerated performance we’re seeing in action and adventure sports, then it’s 4 percent plus 4 percent plus 4 percent, day after day, week after week, months into years into careers. This is the road to real magic. Follow this path long enough, and not only does impossible becomes possible, it becomes what’s next—like eating breakfast, like another day at the office.”

Let’s envision this.

Imagine you wake up tomorrow ready to hit it just 4 percent extra. You hit the sweet spot, trigger flow and embrace the challenge just beyond your skills by 4%. You feel the increased stress, yet recognize and increase your performance. You’ve got the challenge/skills ratio down such that you hit a 4% increase approach day after week after month after year.

With ARETE,

Sean