Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Us humans are non-rigid and aren’t built for sudden and large changes in position and velocity. Sometimes we forget this.

Don’t try to jerk someone from 0 to 60mph in three seconds. It hurts me and you both. It often scares away the other person.

How many seminars have you attended or life-changing podcasts have you heard that shout, “We want you to be fill-in-the-blank-with-something-amazing.” And then the speaker admits something like, “Oh, by the way, it took me 20 years to reach this point, but I would like you to do it this afternoon.”

Jump too far. I see kids on the school playground while driving home from work. Some are running full speed in a game. Others stand on the side, others sit on the ground. If the game or speed or something is too far a leap, some will just sit on the couch and twiddle their thumbs. They really should be running and playing, but it is too far a jump. Arrange for shorter jumps.

Adults do this, too. Years ago while I was working in a developing country (we called it the “third world” at the time) an elderly person there told me about this. If there were products that were just a little out of the reach of the poor, they might work a little harder so they could reach them. If products, however, were available and affordable only by the rich, the others wouldn’t try because they were just too far out of reach.

Little by little. Slow, constant change, small steps. Not exciting, but far more effective.