Albert Einstein reportedly defined insanity as "doing the same the over and over again and expecting different results." Like most people, I understand and embrace this definition, but another part of my subconscious continually ignores it. I know no matter now many times I turn on a working stove, put a pan on it, add a bit of Pam, crack an egg over it and wait, I will end up with a fried egg. Other things though, yeah, I keep doing the same thing over and over and expect something to be different.
Right now the project manager side of me is screaming, "Why on earth would you continue to implement inefficient, ineffective measures to accomplish something? That's completely idiotic, stupid & a grand misuse of your resources!" But another part of me replies, "Because doing the same thing is comfortable. You really do know that method & approach doesn't do anything, so you don't have to risk some new outcome. While part of you might want something to be different, you know it won't be different so it's safe."
My friend Tiffany recently started a series about life maps on her blog. Her last one addressed how we need people in our life to give input on our "map." Allowing people to consider our maps so closely and provide input takes a lot of courage, but in my opinion, the benefits far outweigh the risks (this is provided of course that you have a seriously good set of people looking at your map). It takes a huge amount of trust to ask someone, "This is what I've been doing, it's not working, what needs to change?" then actually choose to follow a new route on the map. (I'm cracking up while writing this thinking of that lady-voice on the Garmin Nuvi complaining about "RECALCULATING!")
To quote my wise father, "Nothing will change until you actually want it to."
I tried to comment on Friday...but my roommates computer was non-compliant.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout-out. I like that we promote each other. (Goal!)
Good thoughts. Here's to growth!
"It takes a huge amount of trust to ask someone, 'This is what I've been doing, it's not working, what needs to change?' then actually choose to follow a new route on the map."
ReplyDeleteThis is a big problem for me as well- I try to take things on myself no matter how difficult they may be and yet am at a loss whenever I achieve failure. Maybe if I sought assistance in what I was doing, I would have a better success rate. Then, the changes I am attempting to make won't seem quite as arduous as they have been...