80 percenter

My good friend Rob Patton was the one who told me about the 80 percenter concept. Apparently the founder of outdoor clothing giant Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, describes his attitude toward new sports/activities as such:

"I’ve always thought of myself as an 80 percenter. I like to throw myself passionately into a sport or activity until I reach 80 percent proficiency level. To go beyond that requires an obsession and degree of specialization that doesn’t appeal to me."

When I heard that I laughed because I feel the exact same way. What the 80 percenter concept creates is a person who is "good" at everything but not "great" at anything.

I have spent a lot of time analyzing the way people act recently (I'm a closet psychologist) and have been making my husband and I my main subjects/patients.

What I learned is that he and I are very different. He is great at a few things where I am good at many things. How it affects our relationship, well that I don't know, but I can tell you we are very different.

Tad is a great air traffic controller and kayaker (both slalom and rodeo).
I am a good swimmer, ballerina, rock climber, sprinter, singer, dancer, artist, actress, writer, and student.

I wonder if when we're old, will Tad have wished he was a little better at other things and not so amazingly wonderful at his two great things? Or will I have wished to be great at something, anything? Which is more fulfilling? To have a bunch of 80 percenters or a few 100 percenters?