Competitive manufacturing teaches us that there is no such thing as perfection. If you achieve perfection then you stop striving for more and will subsequently be overtaken and become out dated. You must instead strive for excellence, Kaisen, continuous improvement. You must always ask yourself, “how can we improve? How can this be better?”
As a business philosophy this is fantastic. But how many of us take this opinion into our personal lives?
If you have the iPhone 4 do you feel the need to upgrade to the 4S? If you lose 5 kilos do you feel the compulsion to lose 5 more? Do you want the latest, greatest car/house/job/education/social life/fitness level? Where are the boundaries? If your partner is an 8/10 do you hold out for something better? Where does desire and determination turn to pure narcissism?
I used to have a life philosophy that encompassed goal excellence. I worked two jobs, was studying two courses and in my spare time I would network, exercise and try to learn new skills. But for me it wasn’t about having the latest gadgets or being the greatest, it was fighting the stagnant nature of a daily routine. Inside I would be screaming “What’s next?” and planning my next degree before I’d finalised enrolment. Sadly this crossed over into my personal life and I would always be planning the next moment without ever really experiencing the current one.
This accumulated until my drive and determination was almost completely extinguished and I abandoned my job, career, education, possessions and relationship to wander aimlessly around the world.
Today I haven't quenched my inner drive, but I have quelled it slightly. I have found some inner peace. I’m not sure how I got here; perhaps a month in the Himalayas was all I needed. Perhaps completely letting go of the reins, selling almost all my possessions and experiencing life with people who had less than me but wanted for nothing was enough to alter my perspective. I am relatively content with how things are, even when I have no idea where I’ll be in a year.
That being said as I settle back into daily life I cannot help but want. But what do I want? I often ask myself this to find direction but am only left with one answer.. More. I want more in every aspect of my life. Will more make my life better or easier? No. But I still want it. I want more time, happiness, friends, education, fitness, relationships, food, clothes, money, bacon, more everything please. And when I get more, I will then want more again. Greed cannot be sated.
More is the curse of the western world. It is at the core of first world problems.
It is why the third world is happier than the first. It is why I want to run away and live in the himalayas.
The solution? I'm still working on it (open to suggestions) but being aware that having more, doing more will not solve anything is a good first step. Practicing the ability to find hapiness in life's simple joys and to stop and smell the flowers whenever you can. Literally.
As a business philosophy this is fantastic. But how many of us take this opinion into our personal lives?
If you have the iPhone 4 do you feel the need to upgrade to the 4S? If you lose 5 kilos do you feel the compulsion to lose 5 more? Do you want the latest, greatest car/house/job/education/social life/fitness level? Where are the boundaries? If your partner is an 8/10 do you hold out for something better? Where does desire and determination turn to pure narcissism?
I used to have a life philosophy that encompassed goal excellence. I worked two jobs, was studying two courses and in my spare time I would network, exercise and try to learn new skills. But for me it wasn’t about having the latest gadgets or being the greatest, it was fighting the stagnant nature of a daily routine. Inside I would be screaming “What’s next?” and planning my next degree before I’d finalised enrolment. Sadly this crossed over into my personal life and I would always be planning the next moment without ever really experiencing the current one.
This accumulated until my drive and determination was almost completely extinguished and I abandoned my job, career, education, possessions and relationship to wander aimlessly around the world.
Today I haven't quenched my inner drive, but I have quelled it slightly. I have found some inner peace. I’m not sure how I got here; perhaps a month in the Himalayas was all I needed. Perhaps completely letting go of the reins, selling almost all my possessions and experiencing life with people who had less than me but wanted for nothing was enough to alter my perspective. I am relatively content with how things are, even when I have no idea where I’ll be in a year.
That being said as I settle back into daily life I cannot help but want. But what do I want? I often ask myself this to find direction but am only left with one answer.. More. I want more in every aspect of my life. Will more make my life better or easier? No. But I still want it. I want more time, happiness, friends, education, fitness, relationships, food, clothes, money, bacon, more everything please. And when I get more, I will then want more again. Greed cannot be sated.
More is the curse of the western world. It is at the core of first world problems.
It is why the third world is happier than the first. It is why I want to run away and live in the himalayas.
The solution? I'm still working on it (open to suggestions) but being aware that having more, doing more will not solve anything is a good first step. Practicing the ability to find hapiness in life's simple joys and to stop and smell the flowers whenever you can. Literally.
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