Over-gritters unite! Recent blogs have been focusing on the notion of (1) high-performance moments and how we can maximise them, which led me to reflect on the less-well-known or acknowledged flip-side: (2) our low-performance moments and why we so actively resist them.
And while it stands to reason—or at least I think it does—that we can’t be high-performance all the time…I meet few high-achievers who “do” low performance well.
Does that sound like you? If you are, like me, someone who prides themselves on hard work, getting things done, ticking all the boxes on the to-do list (subscribing as we do to the entirely futile and fanciful notion that there is, ever, an end to the to-do list!), it seems like low-performance needs a brand makeover.
Here are some reframes to consider.
- It’s not laziness—it’s efficiency. Strategic underperformance means that you put your effort where it actually matters. This is also the place where you start to experiment with what’s enough rather than what’s optimal.
- Less effort ≠ less impact. Sometimes, a dialed-down approach gets the same (or better) results. This is also where you actively consider whether you can delegate the task, or experiment with letting your kids pack their own school lunches.
- It’s a practice, not a one-time hack. Start with one experiment a day. Watch what happens. If it works, acknowledge it. If it doesn’t, consider how to adjust or abandon. We so often don’t try to break even our counterproductive habits like overgritting because we don’t pay attention to the outcomes–good or bad.
In the spirit of embracing the suck, here are some ideas to consider as you pivot into your low-performance zone.
“Micro-Suck” Tactics: How to Let Go Without Letting Everything Fall Apart
1.The 70% Rule—Deliberately Stop at Good Enough
- Where to use it: Internal emails, deck prep, meeting follow-ups, daily check-ins.
- How: Give yourself permission to stop at 70% instead of polishing to perfection. Ask: Would this still function if I didn’t tweak it to death? (Spoiler: Probably.)
- Example: That email doesn’t need another rewrite. That report doesn’t need another tweak. Ship it.
2. Suck Slots—Pre-Decide Where to Dial It Down
- Where to use it: Meetings you don’t need to dominate, routine 1:1s, commute time, admin tasks.
- How: Look at your calendar and mark 1-2 moments a day where you’ll intentionally not be at 100%.
- Example: Instead of cramming prep for every meeting, go into one today with zero notes. Let it flow and see what happens.
3. Low-Stakes First—Practice Sucking Safely
- Where to use it: Brainstorming sessions, lunch breaks, low-priority calls.
- How: Identify 1-2 low-risk places to practice “sucking on purpose” (i.e., being less prepared, less scripted, less ‘on’).
- Example: Instead of forcing a polished idea in a brainstorming meeting, try winging it.
4. The Two-Minute Permission Pause
- Where to use it: Between meetings, before jumping into a high-focus task.
- How: Literally stop for two minutes and ask:
- Do I really need to go full effort on this?
- Can I let this be easier than I’m making it?
- Example: Before jumping into a packed meeting, tell yourself, I don’t have to drive this one. Let’s just listen and see what happens.
5. The Non-Urgent Inbox Rule
- Where to use it: Email, Slack, DMs.
- How: Not everything needs a response today. Decide that at least three things in your inbox will wait until tomorrow (or forever).
- Example: That FYI email? Ignore it. That “quick question” someone else can answer? Let it sit. Nothing exploded? Great.
Final Thought: Anyone can knock it out of the park once…but inconsistent or ‘flash-in-the-pan” performance does not a personal brand make. It is only through consistent high performance that people learn to trust you, and your reputation is built.
Take it from a card-carrying overgritter. Grinding to get stuff done is “easy” in the same way that pushing harder on a locked door feels like persistence. If consistent, trust-worthy performance is what you are after, learning to strategically slow down, trying less instead of more, pushing soft instead of hard—they are the skills inherent in sustainable high performance…and next-level leadership.
What are some ways that you have experimented with sucking on purpose?
