We’ve all had moments when we were tempted to not give our best efforts, just half-assing whatver it was at our hands.

Perhaps not intentionally, but we all are guilty of it since we are humans. At least I am.

Maybe the stakes weren’t too high, maybe you were too busy, or maybe it seemed fine as it was. Maybe we were too lazy for the home stretch.

Fight the temptation.

Why?

Because you never know.

When I had a fulltime job, I was simultaneously working on some side projects for a friend, but between the day’s work and stress, I often could not show my best efforts. I did what was just enough to get by. It showed. (Another learning here is that never attempt to bite more than you can chew. You will choke. Stingily pick projects to commit to, ruthlessly prioritize your time, and once you commit, make sure you do a damn good job.)

After a while I realized the project wasn’t going anywhere and had to drop it. Wasted time, efforts, and a risk of endangering a friendship. (Fortunately he was a bigger man than I was.)

Even more fortunately, I got a second chance with that friend. Thanks to my situation, I now have a lot more free time, and I am able to give my 110%.

I am not planning taking on more work beyond what I have on plate, since I know I won’t be able to deliver my best efforts, despite the fact that I need the money from whatever source available.

I believe this prioritization will pay the dividends in a longer term.

Once you build a reputation of continuously knocking whatever task that’s in front of you out of the park, people will come to you with more lucrative opportunities. Once you build a reputation of continuously half-assing and even worse, flaking on projects, no one will come to you.

The tricky part is that you will never know in advance which opportunity will lead to building your reputation. And the truth is, every opportunity will count.

So whatever that’s in your hands, focus on knocking it completely out of the park, before even thinking of picking up another. Keep doing that until you get faster, more efficient, and more capable.

Although it’s tempting to be juggling 10 balls at the same time, the time-proven way to success and mastery is taking things slowy, but surely.

That opportunity is now. Go knock it out of the park.