Recently, during a long road trip to Lake Tahoe, I found myself in a deep conversation with my 50-year-old cousin. We talked about work, life, and careers, and as I reflected on my journey building a startup, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. I shared how I often felt like we weren’t moving fast enough, how I was constantly beating myself up over the progress we were making—or not making. That’s when he gave me a piece of advice that has stuck with me ever since: “Do just enough. Not too much, not too little.”
This advice has resonated with me, not just in work but in almost every aspect of my life. From my days as an amateur Oztag athlete to my experiences building a company, this idea of “just enough” has been a guiding principle. I’d like to share a few reflections on how I’ve learned to embrace it.
Overtraining and Burnout: Lessons from the Field
One of the most vivid lessons in “just enough” came from my time playing Oztag. I remember the first major injury I had: I tore my ACL. At the time, I blamed myself. I felt like I hadn’t trained hard enough to prevent it, but in hindsight, it was just bad luck. You can do everything right and still get hurt.
After recovering, I went in the opposite direction. I trained harder than ever, pushing myself to the limit in an effort to prevent another injury. But instead of feeling stronger, I felt burnt out. The sport I once loved had turned into a grind, and the joy was gone. Eventually, I realized I needed to step back. My new mindset was simple: I just wanted to enjoy the game with friends. Nothing more, nothing less.
Interestingly, this shift in mindset led to success. We won gold, but more than the outcome, what stuck with me was the journey. I had learned to focus on what I could control—my attitude and effort—while letting go of the things I couldn’t. I realized that enjoying the ride and being present was far more important than obsessing over the result. And in doing so, I stopped letting the outcome dictate my emotions.
Building a Company: A Different Kind of Marathon
In my current journey as a founding employee of a seed-stage startup, there are countless times where I’ve felt like we’re not doing enough. I look at other companies at a similar stage and wonder if we’re falling behind. It’s easy to get stuck in that comparison trap—feeling like we’re going in circles or that we should’ve done things differently from the start.
But when I take a step back, I realize that building a company is unlike anything else. Every company is on its own path, and comparing our journey to someone else’s doesn’t make sense. The only real comparison that matters is where we are today versus where we were yesterday, last month, or last year. And by that measure, we’ve made progress—sometimes in ways that aren’t immediately visible.
The advice from my cousin has been a constant reminder: we’re doing just enough. Not too much, not too little. We’re moving forward at our own pace, and that’s okay.
Finding Balance: Beyond Work and Sport
This idea of “just enough” extends beyond work and sport—it applies to life as a whole. I’ve realized that sacrificing my personal health and well-being in the pursuit of “more” isn’t sustainable. We often feel like we need to do just one more thing, push a little harder, or work a little longer to get ahead. But at what cost?
Your life and career are shaped by the decisions you make, and those decisions include not just the late nights and hard work, but also the moments when you choose to rest, recharge, and prioritize your well-being. At the end of the day, the balance you strike between work, health, and personal time is just enough.
The Takeaway: Enjoy the Ride
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my cousin’s advice, from my experiences as an athlete, and from my journey as a founding employee, it’s this: you can’t control the outcome, but you can control how you approach it. Do just enough—neither too much nor too little—and let life unfold as it will.
For those of you in your late 20s, just starting out or building something of your own, remember that balance is key. You don’t need to overextend yourself to succeed. Enjoy the process, be present in the moment, and trust that whatever you’re doing is just enough.