Failure is the default state

Apologies for the harsh "engagement hacking" title. I’m sure I could have written something a little wordier or softer. However, I briefly considered "Failure is your default state," but that’s downright rude.

But let’s unpack the assertion that "failure is the default state" because I genuinely believe it. The rationale is that the ideal outcome for anything we do requires focused intention: creativity, career success, happiness, health, family joy, or longevity. None of these values, or anything else considered "a good thing," are accidental. Focus is needed.

Left to defaults, we gradually regress to the mean. The original goal or New Year’s Resolution might get dropped, or corners may get cut, or one loses the enthusiasm to stay on track. We get lazy with our families, or we might start making tiny excuses that erode into larger fissures in the things that are important to us.

However, this is not an attempt at the modern toxic "lock in and work through the pain grindset" post. Overwork can cause this same regression as burnout sets in. I know this all too well. It is a minor superpower that I can, roughly on command, hyperfocus on a significant goal for an extended period. I’ve been able to do this for months at a time. However, as I’ve gotten older, the physiological and psychological toil from this lengthy fugue state has gradually increased.

More importantly, the problems and challenges I’m pursuing aren’t simple things that can be tackled in a few hard weeks of crunch time. Being the best partner, friend, father, or professional I can be requires level-headed consistency for decades. That cannot happen when fueled by adrenaline. I’d burn out, implode, crash, or colossally fail the people I care about.

But it does require intention. Intention to do better. Intention in consistency. Intention to say no to areas that don’t justify my attention. Intention so that I don’t grind to the point of exhaustion.

Overwork is much more of a default state than underwork for me. Both are among my "default states" and are a fast track to failure if I don’t combat them with level-headed intention and enough focus.