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Why 98% Commitment Costs More Than 100% · PTT Music Podcast

• 0:21
  I, I, I actually threw out my favorite running shoes this morning,
• 0:26
  Ava.
• 0:26
  Just, uh, tossed them right in the bin.
• 0:29
  Because I, I realized I was spending, like, twenty minutes every single morning just
• 0:34
  staring at them, having this, this, this massive internal debate about whether I
• 0:38
  should go out or just stay in bed.
• 0:41
  Wait, the green ones?
• 0:43
  The ones with the completely worn out soles?
• 0:46
  I mean, your knees are probably thanking you for that.
• 0:49
  But it, it is wild how much mental energy we waste on that,
• 0:53
  right?
• 0:54
  It reminds me of what Clayton Christensen used to say, that it is actually easier to
• 0:59
  hold your principles 100 percent of the time than it is to hold them 98 percent of
• 1:04
  the time.
• 1:05
  Yes!
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  The 98 percent rule.
• 1:09
  It, it is completely counterintuitive because we think, oh,
• 1:13
  leaving ourselves a little, you know, wiggle room, a tiny two percent margin,
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  makes things easier on us.
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  But Christensen was so spot on.
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  That tiny two percent window is where the agony lives.
• 1:27
  It is the self negotiation trap.
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  Oh, it is a total trap.
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  Because when you are only 98 percent committed, Benjamin Hardy pointed out that it
• 1:36
  actually means you are not committed at all.
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  You are just still sitting on the fence.
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  And sitting on that fence is incredibly exhausting.
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  It drains your willpower before you even start.
• 1:50
  Right, because you have to make the decision all over again.
• 1:53
  Every.
• 1:54
  Single.
• 1:55
  Day.
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  Like, is today the day I skip?
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  Am I too tired?
• 1:59
  Is it too cold?
• 2:01
  You are wasting your best mental energy on the negotiation instead of the actual
• 2:06
  work.
• 2:07
  I, I did this exact thing with songwriting, Jordan.
• 2:10
  I told myself I was going to sit down at the piano for just twenty minutes a day.
• 2:15
  Just twenty minutes.
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  But I left myself that tiny 98 percent wiggle room.
• 2:21
  And oh my goodness, I spent more time debating whether I had the energy or if I
• 2:27
  should do laundry instead, rather than actually playing.
• 2:32
  It was exhausting until I just made it an absolute non negotiable.
• 2:37
  That is it.
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  You took the choice away from yourself, which is actually incredibly freeing.
• 2:44
  It is crazy how the brain works when we do that.
• 2:47
  There is actually, uh, real science behind this.
• 2:51
  Back in 1990, this researcher Peter Gollwitzer did a landmark study on what he
• 2:57
  called deliberative versus implemental mindsets.
• 3:01
  And his research showed that these deliberative and implemental mind sets tune
• 3:05
  thought production and information processing in completely different ways.
• 3:10
  Wait, so your brain literally processes information differently once you actually
• 3:15
  make the choice?
• 3:16
  Like, the physical tuning shifts?
• 3:19
  Yes, exactly!
• 3:21
  The pre decision mind is built to weigh options and look at obstacles.
• 3:25
  But once you transition to post decision, to that implemental state,
• 3:30
  your brain tunes out the obstacles and focuses entirely on action.
• 3:34
  You stop debating and you start executing.
• 3:37
  That is so powerful.
• 3:39
  It is like, um, it is like jumping into a cold pool.
• 3:44
  You can stand on the edge and shiver, or you can just plunge.
• 3:48
  Which is, honestly, it is the exact vibe of the PTT Music track,
• 3:53
  "Dive."
• 3:54
  Do you remember when that dropped?
• 3:56
  Oh, yeah.
• 3:57
  "Dive" was released on April 19, 2026.
• 4:01
  The beat in that song, it has this, this driving, rhythmic energy that just doesn't
• 4:07
  let you sit still.
• 4:08
  It is like a sonic pivot that pushes your brain right past the overthinking.
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  It really does.
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  It is like an audio cue that says, okay, no more deliberating.
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  Time to implement.
• 4:21
  So, how do we actually apply this?
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  Let us give everyone some practical things they can do today.
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  Let us start with three things.
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  Step one is to identify your 98 percent leak.
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  Find that one area, whether it is waking up or writing or working out,
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  where you are constantly negotiating with yourself.
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  And step two, once you find that leak, you upgrade it to a 100 percent commitment.
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  No exceptions for the next 14 days.
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  Just take the daily choice off your mental menu entirely.
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  And step three, use a physical or sonic cue.
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  Play that track, "Dive," by PTT Music the exact second you feel yourself starting to
• 5:05
  hesitate or debate.
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  Let the music trigger the physical movement.
• 5:09
  I love that.
• 5:10
  Just press play and jump in.
• 5:13
  Again, thanks for spending this time with us on the PTT Music Podcast.
• 5:18
  We hope today's conversation left you inspired, encouraged,
• 5:22
  and ready to carry that energy with you wherever life takes you.
• 5:26
  I'm Jordan Sterling...
• 5:27
  And I'm Ava Brooks.
• 5:29
  We'll see you next time for another conversation that celebrates creativity,
• 5:33
  purpose, and the power of music.
• 5:36
  If you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love for you to continue the journey with us.
• 5:40
  Visit PTTMusic.com to explore our latest music, official videos,
• 5:45
  exclusive merchandise, artist updates, and much more.
• 5:49
  You can also stream PTT Music on your favorite music platforms.
• 5:53
  And be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with
• 5:57
  someone who could use a little inspiration today...
• 6:00
  Until next time, keep moving forward.
• 6:03
  And let the PTT Music continue to move you closer to who you truly are.