Why?
Having More = Security
The theory was that when humans went from raising their own food in real time, with just enough to keep themselves fed, to farming as an industry, something changed. Suddenly, we had the capability to produce more than we actually needed in a given community. I won’t do the storyline justice here, but the essential idea was that when we began to overproduce and stockpile, we also embraced the idea that having more made you more secure.
This really struck me at the time and is an idea I keep returning to. Essentially the story represents the idea of scarcity. We bought into the idea that there may not sometime in the future be enough, so we’d better stock up.
Someday, Perhaps
Now, I personally appreciate things like grocery delivery, and a full refrigerator, so I don’t live in a time and place to judge that cultural decision. But the idea of saving up for a later time just in case the Universe doesn’t provide is something I see entrepreneurs run into all of the time.
“Someday when I get to a certain point that I believe it’s actually possible to earn and spend more, then I will…” You with me?
The Story of B was about the efficient production of produce. But it bleeds over into areas that are more modern pressing concerns.
The Myth of Time Efficiency
Many coaches and business consultants sell formulas in an effort to save you time. “Just follow the steps I did, and you’ll have a result like me.” The problem is I’m not you and your path here is different.
We desperately want the formula that will work for us, without the risk of messing things up. And people make lots of money because of that fear. (I’m also not judging that as there is a time and place for everything.)
My concern is about a society that values efficiency more than learning or experience or joy or personal growth. And I’m guilty sometimes too. In fact, my original goal in business was to save people from the 10 years I spent in the self-help aisle trying to figure myself out.
I still save people a lot of pain, but I’ve learned some things. Often when we try to move forward with utmost efficiency we lose our creativity. I see countless entrepreneurs go down because they’re not willing to gift themselves 30 minutes of pure peace and enjoyment and excitement about what they do. In that energy your best stuff flows, And it flows quickly.
When you feel you have to sit down and force yourself to be efficient and fill in the workbook and follow the formula… and only after you’ve done all that, then you can have fun, well… we’ve all heard that someday never comes.
Courage to Face Inefficiency
I love when a client gets the lightbulb moment, shifts their energy, awakens to what’s possible, and the cash flows in overnight. It happens.
Other people have to bump up against all different forms of their own resistance before they get clear and the magic happens. But once they do, that clarity is certain and priceless.
If you are a coach, you want to ask yourself whether you have the guts to hold the space for your client when they’re facing that resistance, without feeling the need to swoop in and save them from it. If you do swoop, you may save them temporary pain, but cost them longer-term confidence.
What might it be like to truly believe for you, and for your clients, that we always get what we need when we need it? Efficiency not required.