O.K. so you’re
feeling a little “off” today. No big
deal – you’ll just “push through” and ignore that nagging imbalance, eh? What difference can it make anyway?
It might be
more than you think. Consider the
following:
Yesterday my
husband took my car in for a check up.
When he came back he reported all was good, except wheel balance, in
which case the technicians recommended rotating the tires. I was pleased with the report – and glad to
know that now my wheels are balanced. And
I thought, how come I didn’t notice that and why does it matter anyway?
So, I did what
any reasonable person would do, I “Googled” wheel balance. According to E-How (the same source I went to
when I wanted to learn to play the djembe drum and dance the running man), my
wheels might be out-of-balance when I notice a slight vibration in my ride,
reduced fuel efficiency, or an uneven wear pattern on my tires. Failure to address this imbalance, apparently can
eventually strain
the wheel bearings and suspension system – leading to larger problems –
certainly more costly to fix than the $40 to rotate the tires.
That notion
caused me to think about the human body in motion – and how we adapt to biomechanical
imbalance. For example, when we have a
weakness of the Sartorius muscle in our leg, we may notice a change in our gait
(disharmony), decreased performance measured in speed or strength (reduced
efficiency) or an uneven wear pattern in our shoes. And if not addressed, what happens? Well, the human body is smart – really smart,
and so our muscles, joints and nerves find new (dysfunctional) paths to
generate movement – causing changes all along the kinematic chain to compensate
for the muscular imbalance, which eventually strains the entire system (to
include joints and bones – think bearings and suspension). When we end up at the doctor’s office months
later his medical sleuthing will likely involve some big bills to identify the
cause, which may then require surgery and rehab to restore balance.
And this line
of thinking naturally took me to the notion of work-life balance . . . an area
in which 39% of workers worldwide are reporting imbalance (according to
Global Management Firm, The Hay Group). And
how do people recognize this issue? They
may report being filled with a sense of having too much to do in too little
time. They may be feeling less
productive (and less positive about their productivity) than in the past. They may complain of fatigue, disrupted sleep
patterns, or a condition known as burnout.
Disharmony, reduced efficiency, and dysfunctional patterns -- I’m
sensing some repetition here.
So what is
there to learn from the parallels of out of balance tires, bodies and workers?
That there are
signs that precede (forewarn) damage.
That a little
thoughtful diagnosis can help to determine the cause.
That some
changes are required to resume balance.
Sounds simple,
right? Why is it then that we often
resort to the same old patterns when looking for a different outcome? You likely have heard the oft-repeated adage,
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.” While variously assigned to such sages as
Anthony Robbins, Henry Ford and Mark Twain, I find the wisdom of the words
enduring – though perhaps a tad shortsighted.
In terms of tires, knees and living our lives, it may be, “If you do
what you’ve always done, you get . . . worse.”
After all, the bearings and suspension of our vehicles can only take so
much shimmy. The bones, joints, tendons
and ligaments of our knees can only take so much out-of-balance compensation
and certainly, our minds and bodies can only take so much Koyaanisqatsi (coy-on-is-kat-see; the Hopi word for life out of balance).
So what to
do? Well, I’m taking a cue from my
mechanic: Observe, diagnose and rotate!
Observe: Develop a practice for stepping outside of
yourself and really watching what is going on.
How do you do this? Go back to
that values list you developed earlier this year and compare what you want
(value) to what you’ve got (how you are choosing to spend your time).
Diagnose: Are you finding some discrepancy in your
lists? What’s the cause? Maybe you have lost your “no” (have decided
to take any monkey). Perhaps you lack
clarity (in the absence of a clearly defined goal, you’re wandering). Maybe you’ve even become a mind reader (“I
have to do this because if I don’t it will upset my (spouse, boss,
friend)”).
Rotate: Now from what you observed (that shimmy or
shake) and what you’ve diagnosed (this is causing that) – choose to
change! Find your “No.” Restate your personal vision and focus on
some clearly defined goals. Stop telling
yourself that you know what others really want/expect and ask – the only way to truly know.
Your personal observations and diagnosis will define your change.
Does this
sound too simple? Maybe. But the truth of the matter is that many of
us sink into Koyaanisqatsi and think
it’s an inevitable state that we must accept.
Then, mired in a disharmonious, inefficient rut, we stay.
In the words
of American Express: tire rotation, $40; arthroscopic knee surgery, $3,650
dollars; a life in balance, priceless.
