A Simple Idea That Will Turn You Into a Winner

Are you an optimizer or a maximizer?

Photo by Walo Jay

I like to tell my girlfriend that I choose to do things the way I do because it’s “optimal”, but the truth is that I’m a pretty shitty optimizer.

I’m good at following my routines but I struggle to change them, even when the data tells me to. When I track my sleep or my diet, I struggle with obsession and anxiety over “the perfect data”. I do a lot of things these days by feel and not by the book — especially because the book is always changing and I find it more stressful than chaos.

My strong suit lies in chaotic situations — likely either from ADHD, years of experience hustling to make a living in Jiu-Jitsu, or competing constantly regardless of circumstance. It’s probably all 3.

Either way, where I excel is the time when I am a bit desperate. When I need to pull it all together. Where I can finally leave my anxiety behind and simply act and react to whatever it is that’s in front of me.

That’s my strong suit.

Today, we’re talking about the 2 types of people in competitive fields: optimizers and maximizers.

Which one are you? Which one is best?

It’s not what you think.