So we are stuck for 21 days. Stuck and faced with the things we chose to procrastinate on or never was important enough to do, because we were busy. Now? Now we have time. Time to think and time to reflect. Time to not just adjust our aim in the run or apply quick fixes. We actually have time to work on our designs. Work on the map, the route the plans. In school I used to play sports and enjoyed it very much. I was good at running and could play a mean hockey game. I did have injuries but it never took me out of a game.
I remember how I would hurt my ankle while I was running, and even though it hurt, as I kept on running, the pain would slowly fade and my ankle would get ‘restored’ as I just continued running. Great right? Maybe while playing high school hockey, but using this method of restoration is not a good method in life. This we sometimes learn the hard way.
A healthy rhythm in life is one that has down times. Moments of recuperating, moments of reset and rest. I have always reminded myself that the winner of the so called RAT RACE, is the fastest RAT. Sometimes winning isn’t everything. Sometimes winning is losing. What do I mean? If you win in your career but your family looses, it’s a ZERO my friend. If your bank account is ‘full’ but your health is bad, it is a zero my friend. If you are a social giant and liked by all but can not stand to be alone and your soul is depleted, that is a zero!
I read in Simon Sinek’s book about an American company that had a assembly line that was suppose to be exactly the same as a Japanese company. They both produced cars. When the Americans visited the Japanese workshop they saw that the Japanese assembly line did not have 11 workers in the line, they only had 10. You see the American assembly line had to add guy number 11. His job was to use a rubber mallet and to lightly hit the corners of the doors so that it could fit perfectly.
When the Americans ask the Japanese why they didn’t have a guy number 11, they smiled and answered: We do not have to fix the problem at the end of the assembly line, we see to it that the design in the beginning is correct, and it fits perfectly. Ha!
Just like that. So here is what I suggest we do during these 21 days. Try and find what processes and habits you have in your life that are broken. While you are so busy running this RAT RACE you miss some crucial steps. Go to the start and fix the beginning.
Maybe you can:
1. Have that talk.
2. Organize that part of your life/closet/room.
3. Replace unhealthy patterns and behaviours with healthy ones.
4. Start that thing you know will serve you well.
5. Start to create your life and not just react.
Fix the beginning.