Are you working normally or naturally?

In Change, Creativity, Inner Performance, Nature, Sport

It takes as much energy to run a mile as it does to walk a mile

That’s right – it looks like running gets you there more quickly, but how are you feeling crossing the finish line after expending 100% of your energy?  Exhausted and stressed and in need of a rest?

We’re not designed like that.  Nature doesn’t work like that – nature works by using the minimum amount of energy necessary, not the most. But it looks like expending tremendous amounts of energy will help us achieve more.  But the opposite is true – at work or home you’ll notice this in endless circular thinking and discussions, getting analytical, meetings that go no-where, no decisions or very poor ones that don’t make sense.  I could go on and on but you get the picture.

Running at 100% means you’ve no spare capacity or safety net enabling you step up when you need to.  And the outcome?  Stress and burnout.  But hey, everyone is doing that so it makes sense.  That’s normal.

In snow-boarding, one of the very common ways they teach beginners is to snowboard with your arms out-stretched for balance and to help turn (one of the biggest problems is the expectation that snow-boarding involves falling over a lot and difficult to turn).  However, two things happen with this: firstly, with your arms outstretched you’re maxed out balance wise so the tiniest bump means you fall over – a lot!  And the second, holding your arms up out-stretched locks up your upper body which makes turning difficult and it’s is exhausting and tiring so you make more errors!  But hey, everyone is doing that so it makes sense doesn’t it?  That’s normal. (Skiing with nothing on your mind, naturally, can be found here)

Working normally consumes vast amounts of wasteful energy, is slow, crises happen, projects go in to meltdown and the problem worsens, behavioural problems occur, it looks ever more complex and “we need to look deeper in to this”.  Stress and burnout occur. But, hey. That’s normal.

(By the way, all these are indicators of working “normally” and are probably very familiar to you)

Working naturally uses the least amount of time and energy to achieve something? We flow, things get done, answers and solutions occur naturally and when needed, projects get before time and below budget, results are better than expected, people get on with respect and come up with great ideas, innovation occurs fluidly, crises don’t happen: and if they do, you respond with ease and grace (you can ‘step up’ because you have spare energy).  Stress and burnout fade away.  That’s natural.

(By the way, all these are indicators of working “naturally” and are probably very unfamiliar to you)

Are you working normally or naturally?  If you’d prefer to be working naturally and all the consequences that come from that then get in touch and let’s have a conversation.  I particularly love really messy and intractable problems.  You know, the ones you’ve really given up on or are just getting worse and worse and a solution seems ever further away.

 

My next book “The Drunkards Search – the entire human experience explained” in a very short and simple book, comes out at the beginning of July on Amazon.

1 Comment

  1. First bit of common sense I’ve read in a long time! Please advise the Minister of Education in New Zealand

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