Redline

Race cars operate near the redline of their tachometer when they are racing. Near the redline is their maximum point of operational capability before engine damage occurs. It is where the RPMs are the highest and speeds can be churned out by the rapidly firing pistons. Drivers not aware of the redline can blow up their engines if they go over it for sustained periods. This sort of result was fairly common and can be seen multiple times in the movie Ford v Ferrari. At the same time, knowing a car’s ability and believing in its capabilities can make dipping into the redline a successful endeavor. As Ford tries to move past Ferrari in the sports car racing scene, Ken Miles moves into the redline to win the 24 Hours of Daytona. Not all redline activity is detrimental to our health, but knowing our limits and when we are approaching them can lead to sustained productivity levels and the balance we need.

The redline in our lives is similar to a car’s tachometer. We must have balance and recognize when we are doing too much. In first qualifying this statement, I am a believer in obsessing and going all-in on what we want to pursue. Success does not come from doing what everyone else does or the minimum. Success comes from emptying the tank day after day and continuing to come back for more. That being said, everyone has a limit. There is always a point where our redline is met. When we are reaching our redline we can begin to feel loss of motivation or desire and increased feelings of fatigue and begin to break down. In these cases, it is often better to close our computer, close our book, rack the weights, and come back after a break. Working nonstop can be detrimental to our progress and can hinder our development. Similar to how our willpower needs breaks, so do we. Taking afternoon walks, making time for other hobbies, and getting enough sleep (at least 5.5-6 hours) can be all we need to avoid blowing up our self-sustaining engine.

The human body and mind are both extremely durable and sustainable. We are able to attack each day on a continuous basis as long as we monitor our warning signs as we approach our redlines. Sometimes a day off or a couple more hours of sleep is all we need. The point is we are aware of these limits and act in ways to increase our individual durability and endurance for being near the redline. Additionally, working on projects that fill us with intrinsic motivation can help us extend the limits to our individual redline. When the work has purpose and meaning at our core, we are more able to run pedal to the metal at full speed until the finish line without concern for our individual engine exploding. Instead of being worried about what happens when we operate at our redline, we should be accepting this area as peak performance and work to increase our ability to be in this zone.