The Power Law shows up in fitness, business, and life, where a small amount of effort or persistence creates outsized results. Success often isn’t about talent or willpower, but about staying in the game longer than most and creating simple systems that remove excuses. By treating progress as a game, from training to fundraising, momentum compounds and the results speak for themselves.
The Power Law shows up everywhere, whether we realize it or not. It’s the principle that a certain percentage of effort, talent, or persistence produces outsized results compared to everyone else. You see it in wealth, where a tiny fraction of people hold most of the money. You see it in professional sports, where a small group of athletes dominate the field. And you definitely see it in fitness, whether it’s CrossFit or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to name a few.
At the highest levels, the power law in sports comes down to talent. Hard work matters, but there’s usually a genetic or skill-based difference-maker that separates the professional athlete from everyone else. But in BJJ, for most people, the power law isn’t about talent, it’s about longevity. If you keep showing up longer than 80% of the people around you, you’re an outlier. That kind of consistency usually puts you in purple belt territory, not because you were destined to be great, but because you simply stayed in the game long enough to see the results.
Anybody can do this. You don't even have to be super disciplined or goal oriented. Sheer willpower almost never works long term.
The way we do this is through gamification. Implement simple games within systems that keep you ahead of the crowd. First you have to realize the system you are in and your chosen rules, whatever they are. 'Working hard' is not a system. Never skipping takedown day at BJJ is. So is never walking during a run at CrossFit or drinking water during a workout. Saying you'll get to the gym when you can doesn't usually work. It's better to have a system in place that does not have wiggle room such as attending no less than 10 classes in any given month. Small, non-negotiable rules create momentum, and over time, momentum compounds. In CrossFit, the gamification might look like the 80% rule for nutrition: 80% of meals clean, 80% of days without drinking. You don’t have to be perfect, just consistent. There are games to be played everywhere. And you get to make the rules.
Even in business, especially startups, the same theory applies. Raising money, for example, can feel like running headfirst into rejection. But gamifying the nos instead of letting them get you down is a way to flip the script: each no becomes part of the story. If your company breaks out, those investors will be the ones kicking themselves, knowing they had a chance and chose to pass. This is a game around creating FOMO and getting as many investors to realize their worst fears when your company becomes a household name.
The more nos along the way, the better the feeling when you finally win the game.
There's no limit to the amount of games that can be played. When you get hurt, you can either use that as an excuse to quit OR you can seek other ways to work around your limitations, fix your form, and learn from your mistakes, thereby arming yourself with the ability to handle future setbacks. At Gym Force, the infinite scalability of our functional fitness/CrossFit programs are ideal scenarios for this. When you get hurt at BJJ, instead of skipping class, go and observe. See if you can help a beginner or learn from somebody more experienced.
The power law doesn't always come down to intelligence, talent, or genetics. Sometimes it’s just about doing what a vast majority of others won't. So keep showing up, make more phone calls, fail more, learn from your mistakes and watch the magic happen.
Just keep playing your game.
Gym Force gyms are built around that idea. They’re run by people that put in the work, both as coaches and entrepreneurs. They treat their craft as a game and always work to get better at playing. They don’t fall for gimmicks and never take shortcuts. They lean into the power law, and they’re proof that if you play the game long enough, you'll eventually win.