I've spent the past few days watching the show Man v. Food on the Travel Channel (I'm not getting paid to promote... I really should find out about that). If you have never seen it, the host attacks food challenges established by restaurants, usually involving tear-jerking spice or epic quantities fit for King Kong. He'll eat... eat... and eat some more. You can see the joy from his first few bites; by the end, his pure hatred for the task at hand shines through his sweat-drenched face. The reward usually consists of a picture on a Wall of Fame, a t-shirt, and a heart attack before the age of 40.
I can't help it... I'm addicted. Who doesn't want to see a man chomp down 6 pounds of food within an hour? It's the American Way.
Last night, I went out for beer and pool. It was a great time; nothing too crazy, but enjoyable. If you were to flash back a few years, the story would have probably included bragging about the ridiculous number of shots I tallied, followed by me being a complete mess. Now this is not to prove that my tolerance has gotten even stronger (in fact... I'm pretty sure I'm a cheap drunk now), but to show that excess is overrated.
Okay, quick economics lesson. The law of diminishing returns states that we will get less and less output when we add additional doses of an input while holding other inputs fixed. In relation to our lives in general, when we do something for enjoyment (input), there comes a point where the amount of that enjoyment (output) lessens. For example, I buy a family size bag of potato chips. The first chip is pretty spectacular, because it awakens my taste buds. The second chip maybe even better, because I'm ready for the flavorful experience. But as I make my way through the bag, it no longer becomes this amazing salty, crunchy, crispy journey. And if I end up finishing the bag in one sitting, my utter disbelief will be accompanied with a tummy ache.
Value your time and effort. And then find that point where you can get the most for the price of your time and effort. It's just efficient.
