Bruce Lee = Effectiveness
- I did something because I was told it was the “right” thing to do. It didn’t work
- I did it again because it should have worked the first time. It didn’t work
- I did it a few more times to try to figure out what I’m doing wrong. It still didn’t work.
- I did it again because it really should have worked the first time and now I know I’m really doing it the way I should do it. I can’t believe it’s not working.
- I did it a half dozen more times out of frustration. If definitely doesn’t work.
If you’ve ever found yourself in this cycle, you’ve become more worried with what should work than what does work. You’ve gotten stuck knee deep in “should” and lost the ability to be effective.
What is the “right” way? How “should” things get done? In terms of martial arts, Bruce Lee recognized that no dogmatic set of rules can ever be as effective as a flexible, organic, eclectic style of fighting. This philosophy made him one of the most efficient and effective fighters ever. Applying this approach to our own lives can be equally powerful. This does not mean that we have to reinvent the wheel. Bruce Lee didn’t create an entirely novel fighting style. He borrowed what worked from each style that already existed, and eliminated strategies that were ineffective. He never tried to fit a square peg into a round hole. He never got stuck in how things should happen. He paid attention to results and was constantly open to adaptation. How can you be more like Bruce?
- Eliminate “should” from your vocabulary.
- Get honest about what does and doesn’t work.
- Once you recognize what doesn’t work, STOP DOING IT!
- Try new things, stay flexible, look for results
- When you find something that works, master it.