“So good on paper, so romantic, but so bewildering…
…I know nothing stays the same
But if you're willing to play the game
It's coming around again.”
Carly Simon, “Coming Around Again”
My mantra has been to always “go forward,” no matter what else is going on personally or with an organization. Bureaucracy, management theories, and whatever else aside, one should always be moving in a direction towards the goal. However, sometimes one can inadvertently lose sight of their progress towards this goal.
Comfort is that thing which dulls optimum effectiveness. If you get too comfortable, you’re prone to laziness. You’re prone to foolishness. A lesson from the military: When you step outside your comfort zone, only then can you experience true growth, whatever venue in your life that might be. “It builds character,” is what people say of those things that are generally unpleasant: This is why. Character is defined as someone with good repute. Perhaps doing tasks that others see as unseemly give you a good reputation? I personally think the direct meaning behind this word, in this case, isn’t necessarily…correct. Rather good reputation is built around those individuals that have shown effectiveness and efficiency in the completion of their tasks. Performing above the call of duty offers a qualitative essence to an easily quantifiable task. In other words, people notice extra effort: People notice moving forward.
Everything in life can be deduced to a game. Not the manipulative sort that will inevitably come to many a mind, but a game in the auspices of economics: An interaction between multiple intelligent agents with their own agendas, motives, and rationales. Outcomes and scenarios can reasonably be deduced with previously known, currently gathered, and assumed information regarding the other intelligent agents in said game. With this methodology one can often control their own actions to control the desired outcome of the situation.
Mind you, this is not manipulation: It is control. The difference is intent. Manipulation is a principle of the unprincipled, whereas control is a principle of the science of management. One is maladaptive while the other is required in business.
People generally resist change. People will find their optimal state of being and stay there. Sometimes this means being ahead of the curve, sometimes this means complacency. It is never too late to become the person that you want to become: If the benefit of the potential reward outweighs the discomfort that you have for putting the necessary effort and energy into the scenario, then you will find a way to make it happen. Internal motivation can overcome all.
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