Alexi Pappas, a filmmaker and runner, once set her sights on a dream that seemed impossible: competing in the Olympics. While your own ambitions might differ – perhaps you’re striving for business success, or you’re determined to become fluent in a new language – the lessons Pappas learned on her journey can help you turn your vision into reality.
In an interview with The Cut, Pappas shared a piece of wisdom imparted by her running coach, a nugget of advice entrepreneurs and students can take to heart. When Pappas asked how to approach a seemingly impossible challenge, her coach introduced her to the rule of thirds.
Whenever you’re chasing a big dream, you’re supposed to feel good a third of the time, okay a third of the time, and crappy a third of the time, and if you feel roughly in those ratios, it means you are in fact chasing a dream. If you feel too good all the time, you’re not pushing yourself enough, and if you feel too fatigued, you might be burning out or having a mental-health challenge and need to reevaluate.
This simple yet powerful concept isn’t just applicable to running – it’s a formula for maximizing your potential in any pursuit. Learning experts agree that growth happens when we step outside our comfort zones. But there’s a delicate balance to strike: push yourself too little and stagnate; push yourself too hard, and you risk burnout or even injury.
The rule of thirds takes this abstract idea and makes it concrete. If you’re chasing a dream, you should expect to feel uncomfortable or downright lousy about a third of the time. That’s a sign you’re truly challenging yourself. Much more than that, and you might be pushing too hard. Much less, and you’re likely not realizing your full potential.
You can apply the rule of thirds to learning as well. When you’re truly growing and expanding your knowledge, one-third of your study sessions should feel rewarding and enlightening, like you’re grasping concepts easily and making clear progress. Another third should feel okay – you’re putting in a solid effort, grinding through exercises, and making steady gains, even if it’s not always exciting. But one-third of the time, learning should feel hard. You should be grappling with difficult material, struggling to wrap your head around complex ideas, and pushing at the very limits of your abilities. That’s how you know you’re challenging yourself enough to keep growing.
If learning always feels easy, you probably stay within your comfort zone and do not realise your full potential. But if it’s always a painful struggle, you may be trying to take on too much, too fast. Embrace the full spectrum of the learning journey – the ups, the downs, and the in-betweens. That’s what leads to balanced, sustainable growth.
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