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© Copyright 2002, Jim Loy
Many people tell us to give 110%. Technically, that is impossible. How can you give 110%, when 100% is all there is? So, let's give 100%. That's impossible too, isn't it? You can't give everyting you've got, without dying. So, if you really really try, how much are you giving, 90%? 95%? 85%? Well, it is hard to tell. In fact, it is often impossible to compare one person's trying with another's. What we mean is, "Try really really hard." We might as well call that 100%, give it 100%. But hey, maybe you can actually try even harder. Try harder than you thought possible. So, let's give 110%!
Then there is the phenomenon of "trying too hard." That actually can happen. This is when results drop off because of the desperate need to succeed. We have to relax and be confident. We don't need to be tense. That is why I am opposed to outsiders putting great pressure on athletes: win for Dad, win for the home town, win for your country. If that will help me perform, then I will put that pressure on myself, don't do it for me. See Are You a Winner?