One Apple A Day #975 - Exhaustion and efficiency
Years ago, when I was learning to swim, my teacher started the lessons with very taxing exercises. Plenty of repetitions at a different speed.
By mid-lesson, my tank was empty. My body was exhausted, my arms and legs became so heavy. But there was still half a lesson to complete.
Once I asked her why she was doing that. Why put us through all that hard work in the first part of the lesson.
She told me that she discovered that it’s precisely when people are exhausted that they begin to improve their technique. When you can’t use your raw force to move forward in the water, you must get the maximum out of every movement. You must learn to glide through the water, make every stroke count, and use your remaining energy in the most efficient way possible. In short, you learn faster and better.
I do this sometimes in my life.
When I am full of energy, I tend to push through things, to say too many yeses, to work the extra hours. It’s only when I run out of steam that I realise that I can’t sustain that approach anymore. When that happens, I am forced to learn how to make more conscious choices, choose where I want to put my energy, and make every word and action count.
So, when something happens in our life that puts us through some strain and burns our energy, it may be an opportunity to learn how to become more efficient in pursuing our vision.