If you really want to get something done faster and better, be first prepared to let it fall apart. Even though there’s nothing more frustrating or defeating than having worked for hours on a project only for it to fail, let it crumble in your hands—happily and with a smile on your face.
Now before you think I’ve totally lost it, let me explain. I recently noticed a fascinating pattern. It occurs when I’m working on a new project. For me, it’s usually a piece of writing, but it happens for other things too. For you, it might be any number of activities: trying a new recipe, renovating, or (God help you) spending an afternoon in “Ikea Hell”.
Picture yourself working on Project X. You have a few hiccups but you begin to figure it out and move on. The project is proceeding nicely, then stalls unexpectedly. You take a breath and regroup. But its start and stop from there on. After a few hours you’re almost done and BLAM! You realize it’s not working. You scramble to figure out what went wrong, desperately trying to salvage the day, but it’s too late. All that time. All that effort. Gone! Wasted! Or was it?
What you do next will ultimately determine your success—or lack thereof. You could swear, pull out some hair, throw Project X through the window, maybe even quit. Or you could let Project X fall apart—happily.
Now you might have just concluded that none of the above options will get Project X done. Maybe, maybe not.
Consider for a moment what Einstein once said about problem solving: “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.”
In other words, Einstein was saying that we can’t apply old thinking (current consciousness) against new problems.
Why?
Well, let’s look at how you arrived at your current level of consciousness. Your consciousness is the sum total of all your beliefs. This “belief system” informs and advises you on what is possible for you. Those beliefs were and are created from your past experiences.
Do I take road A or B? Should I accept this job or that one? Should I attempt Project X? Can I really do it? In this way your belief system causes you to impose limits on yourself based on what you believe is possible for you.
See your consciousness as an expanding bubble, if you will. And you are, right now, on its leading edge. This edge represents the essence of your current potential. You will not be able to accomplish anything that is beyond that edge—until you (as Einstein suggested) “Look at the world anew.”
Interestingly, this is exactly what happens when a project fails. You have simply reached the outer limits (that leading edge) of what you believe is currently possible for you.
Now, here’s the cool part. The very act of working on a new and unfamiliar project has already expanded your consciousness. You just have to give it a chance to catch up. I call this “creative lag”.
It is here where most people run into problems because they see creative lag as a negative instead of an opportunity. As a result these people often quit believing that the project is impossible. When that’s rarely the case. When things fall apart your consciousness is simply in a holding pattern waiting to expand past the point it once occupied. It’s like a wave breaking over the rocks.
If you are expecting the break and understand that is it a necessary part of the creative process you will be less likely to be upset when it happens. In this way you can take full advantage of the opportunity and see it as a cue to step back and take a “break”. Let it fall apart. Walk away from it.
I now find myself anticipating these breaks, when in the past they caused me distress and anxiety. I actually get excited when they happen because I know that I’m close to a “Breakthrough”. As a result, the word “breakthrough” has taken on an entirely new meaning for me. When a project breaks for me I know it’s time to put it away. When I return to it, I am able to approach the problem with a new clarity and understanding. Solutions just seem to appear from nowhere.
When “so-called” problems arise simply take a satisfied breath and put the work down knowing that everything will be better tomorrow. Try it! You’ll be amazed how well this process works.
Let things fall apart. Be mindful of that break. Anticipate it. Use it. You’ll be glad you did.
If you would like to leave me a comment or question please email it to troy_roache@hotmail.com. Thanks for visiting.