We’re all running through life, in one way or other, regardless of how it may seem or how athletic – or not – we may be… And, “no” we’re not following on from last week’s post about making exercise easy either! If you missed the post, click here. 

 

Nor are we going to talk about the modern obsession with being “busy, busy, busy” and making sure everyone knows just how busy we are (!). If you need a quick reminder why this approach rarely gives the desired results, both in terms of productivity and how easily they’re achieved, click here. 

 

Instead, it’s a rather different form of running we’ve got in mind today. The energy we consciously – or, more often, unconsciously – put into our lives. And then out into the world around us. 

With the lighter evenings and longer days – hurrah (!) – it’s not surprising this time of year often kick starts many people’s health regimes. Particularly those related to stripping off some of the extra winter layers – which hide a multitude of sins (!) – or their forthcoming fortnight in the sun… 

 

Put another way, it’s all about slimming and trimming. Slimming down and sending those few – or more (!) – extra pounds on their way. Trimming and toning those areas that could do with a bit more definition. 

 

While both concepts are quite simple – in theory, at least (!) – they often seem to end up being much more complicated than need be. 

We’ve talked before about the modern obsession with being “busy, busy, busy” and, ideally, letting everyone know just how busy we really are… If you need a quick reminder why this approach doesn’t make our lives any easier – or get the desired results (!) – then click here. 

 

And it’s one particular aspect of this action orientated approach we’d like to talk about today. The tendency to try and micro manage every part of our lives. The rationale behind this approach is quite simple. Well, in theory at least, as well as from a logistics point of view. It allows us to control the what, when and how. What happens, when it happens and how it happens. Unfortunately, rather than making our lives simpler and easier, it tends to have exactly the opposite effect. Not only creating much more work for ourselves but also relying on sheer willpower and stamina to get things done. 

A couple of generations ago – or about 60 years ago if you prefer (!) – wearing glasses was quite unusual, although many older people had to resort to a little extra “help” with reading. Usually when their arms weren’t quite long enough to hold whatever they were trying to read at the right distance or the print had suddenly become much smaller (!). Perhaps you’ve experienced this for yourself as you’ve got older or heard someone else making similar comments. And we’d probably better stop there before we digress too much further… 

 

Coming quickly back to the present day, things seem to have reversed. People NOT wearing glasses or contact lenses are quickly becoming the exception rather than the norm. Which, if you stop to think about it, is a huge change in a relatively short period of time.  

 

The question is why?