Awhile ago, I used to joke that I liked to set the bar low so I’d always exceed it. There is a lot to unpack in there - but for now I’m just going to concentrate on one of the facets.
Most of the time I try to retain as much flexibility as possible - letting me change course easily, adapt, assess, reassess, reassess the reassessments, etc. Some of this is due to my personality type - I prefer collecting information to make an informed decision - instead of making decisions early and adjusting on the fly. I prefer leaving things ambiguous unless I know exactly what I want - and I know I’ll be successful for sure. I alluded to something like this in my first blog post (here).
When it comes to any of your normal “productivity enhancement schemes” - they recommend doing things regularly - in a routine… but my inner nature fights that.
I prefer observing and letting my feet do the voting. I’ll give a quick real life example.
Earlier this year my mind decided: "I want to get more fit - I want to get back into running." So I started. I kept it up for awhile - but eventually it tapered off and I went back to a more normal sedimentary life.
Why? I meant it when I said “I want to get back into running” - right?
Well - sort of. Wanting to do something - and doing something for a long time is generally measured against motivation. And whatever motivation I had at the time - it passed - as did my desire to keep running. In the past - I’d have considered this a failed experiment - but now I prefer to think of it this way.
Failure isn't an end state, usually - but rather an invitation to look more closely. To inspect. To poke at the “why”.
So - let’s jump into a retro on my running: I enjoy running a little bit - longer runs are tiring. I’m pretty sure it started with a goal of “get more fit this year” - admirable, but lacking focus. Definitely not a SMART goal... This brings up an interesting step I skipped earlier:
“Get more fit this year” wasn’t challenged with a “why”. Why do I want to get more fit this year - to what end? Run a 6 min mile? Deadlift 500 lbs?
So - I got started on both of those - without taking the time to ask… why? What was missing in my life that I needed “more fitness” to achieve? And it turns out - my current fitness level is completely compatible with my current life. And so - eventually - my drive to put on shoes and make myself intentionally uncomfortable lessened until I quit doing it regularly. Do I still want to be “more fit” - sure! But not daily running fit. Or Deadlifting 500lbs fit.
The reason I bring this up is - when your feet vote, they normally vote true. Your feet normally cut through aspiration and align behind pragmatism. Specifically - what you would say you are interested in doesn't always manifest because of.... reasons (timing, preference falsification, more urgent issues arising, etc). Those reasons - and the subsequent failure to follow through with action... is an invitation to inspect. And it’s an opportunity to make sure you are putting effort - focused effort - on the right problems.
Solve the Why - or decide to abandon it (or adjust it) - either way you’ll be in a better position to make progress. This is conceptually similar to "fail fast" or any number of process improvement cycles.
It's also worth noting that sometimes your feet vote with a "I'm still in" vote! Awesome. They still show up -- probably means you have a pretty good "why" connected to your goal. Awesome.
Jordan Peterson says, “Tell the truth - or at least don’t lie” in his book 12 Rules. I prefer a microcosm of that - “Tell the truth, or at least don’t lie to yourself." If you aren't sure where you stand, listen to your feet.
Most of the time I try to retain as much flexibility as possible - letting me change course easily, adapt, assess, reassess, reassess the reassessments, etc. Some of this is due to my personality type - I prefer collecting information to make an informed decision - instead of making decisions early and adjusting on the fly. I prefer leaving things ambiguous unless I know exactly what I want - and I know I’ll be successful for sure. I alluded to something like this in my first blog post (here).
When it comes to any of your normal “productivity enhancement schemes” - they recommend doing things regularly - in a routine… but my inner nature fights that.
I prefer observing and letting my feet do the voting. I’ll give a quick real life example.
Earlier this year my mind decided: "I want to get more fit - I want to get back into running." So I started. I kept it up for awhile - but eventually it tapered off and I went back to a more normal sedimentary life.
Why? I meant it when I said “I want to get back into running” - right?
Well - sort of. Wanting to do something - and doing something for a long time is generally measured against motivation. And whatever motivation I had at the time - it passed - as did my desire to keep running. In the past - I’d have considered this a failed experiment - but now I prefer to think of it this way.
Failure isn't an end state, usually - but rather an invitation to look more closely. To inspect. To poke at the “why”.
Failure isn't an end state, usually - but rather an invitation to look more closely. To inspect. -h/t Jonathan Haidt for the concept
So - let’s jump into a retro on my running: I enjoy running a little bit - longer runs are tiring. I’m pretty sure it started with a goal of “get more fit this year” - admirable, but lacking focus. Definitely not a SMART goal... This brings up an interesting step I skipped earlier:
“Get more fit this year” wasn’t challenged with a “why”. Why do I want to get more fit this year - to what end? Run a 6 min mile? Deadlift 500 lbs?
So - I got started on both of those - without taking the time to ask… why? What was missing in my life that I needed “more fitness” to achieve? And it turns out - my current fitness level is completely compatible with my current life. And so - eventually - my drive to put on shoes and make myself intentionally uncomfortable lessened until I quit doing it regularly. Do I still want to be “more fit” - sure! But not daily running fit. Or Deadlifting 500lbs fit.
The reason I bring this up is - when your feet vote, they normally vote true. Your feet normally cut through aspiration and align behind pragmatism. Specifically - what you would say you are interested in doesn't always manifest because of.... reasons (timing, preference falsification, more urgent issues arising, etc). Those reasons - and the subsequent failure to follow through with action... is an invitation to inspect. And it’s an opportunity to make sure you are putting effort - focused effort - on the right problems.
Solve the Why - or decide to abandon it (or adjust it) - either way you’ll be in a better position to make progress. This is conceptually similar to "fail fast" or any number of process improvement cycles.
It's also worth noting that sometimes your feet vote with a "I'm still in" vote! Awesome. They still show up -- probably means you have a pretty good "why" connected to your goal. Awesome.
Jordan Peterson says, “Tell the truth - or at least don’t lie” in his book 12 Rules. I prefer a microcosm of that - “Tell the truth, or at least don’t lie to yourself." If you aren't sure where you stand, listen to your feet.
Comments
Post a Comment