Work/Life Balance? That's so Seventies!

It's time to move beyond the idea of work/life balance. Now that HR have become Human Capital Partners and we all work in space (e.g. "....a primary player in the IT space") (WTF?), the time is right to think further than this this outdated concept. It implies that there is a separation between work and life, that these are somehow disparate when clearly they are not - work is part of life and a significant part at that. So, using my elementary math skills, if work is a subset of life then mathematically:

Work/Life balance = W/L = f(L)/L = 1/Lexp2 = 0

Yes blog readers (well, actually reader, according to my blogger.com stats) you are first to see mathematical proof that work/life balance has zero value. In fact it has less than zero value (but I couldn't figure out how to get a negative number) because holding onto the ideal of separation means that we do not get maximum benefit and enjoyment out of work or other areas of life. This separation is reinforced culturally from our infancy, for example in the UK where kids dress in uniforms to demarcate their school existence, then the bell rings and real life begins.

Genuine impact in life, in all spaces, comes from integration, not separation. Someone once told me that in any situation the goal is to integrate, even with an opponent in a boxing or karate bout we must integrate, blend with the adversary to allow us to find a winning solution. Integration of work and life brings the realization that it is exactly the same set of principles that lead to success in all endeavors. This same understanding allows us to to become a better parent or partner, sports-person or artist by using the experiences that we have at work to benefit other areas and vice versa. It's just life - everything is an opportunity to practice and learn, especially if we adopt a strategy to accelerate this holistic approach.

Some of the strategies that can create this unified approach have been touched on in earlier in this blog; future posts will continue the theme. Until then, I will leave this post with a clip from Dr. Feelgood, precursors of punk from the 1970's, performing the song that defined my seventies idea of work/life balance for many years:
The day dragged by so slow
I feel just like I'm dying
Stop work whistle blow
And then I start reviving
Across your yard, beneath the stars
I made it through another day and here we are:
Back in the night...

Requisite Variety

Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety states that "variety absorbs variety, defines the minimum number of states necessary for a controller to control a system of a given number of states."[1]

The gist of this law is that in order to master any problem or process we have to be able to bring more variety to bear than is inherent in the situation. In combat that means being capable of using attacks in a greater variety of ways than your opponent. Further, by restricting the amount of variety that the opponent can use (by adopting strategy) the chance of victory can be enhanced.

When applying Ashby's law to non-combat situations the same principle applies. To succeed requires either: a) continually learning, incorporating new ideas and concepts to enhance variety and perspective; and/or b) simplifying the problem or process, so gaining the edge in the variety stakes by reducing the complexity of the problem. Et voila, two fundamentals of impact packaged in a cool-sounding law. Continual learning is a common factor in so many credible theories, from Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's principles of flow [2] to Peter Senge's ideas on organizational learning [3]. Martial arts are based on the idea of learning over a lifetime; no one has mastered everything, there is always so much more to discover.  Similarly, a continual focus on simplicity in everything we do, reducing complexity to a minimum, helps retain the edge over the challenges that confront us.

Ashby's law provides a framework for success, building variety through constant movement, creativity and learning, while simplifying the challenges to the extent possible. Try it - use variety to make an impact!

References
1. Introduction to Cybernetics, W. Ross Ashby (see: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ASHBBOOK.html)
2. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
3. See: http://www.solonline.org/?home

Transcendence for Dummies

Transcendence is one of those words which is good to use when you want to sound intelligent; not as good as "cybernetics" but still worth throwing in to a conversation every now and then.
Maybe it's simpler than it sounds, as Steve Earle puts it (from the liner notes of his Transcendental Blues CD):

"I have spent most of my life (like most people) trying to avoid transcendence at all costs, mainly because that shit hurts. Merely defining transcendence can sometimes be painful. I once heard that 'transcendence is the act of going through something'. Ouch. I see plate glass windows and divorces. Someone else told me that it was 'rising above whatever one encountered in one's path' but at this point in my life that smacks of avoidance as well as an elitism of some sort"

How about this definition of transcendence for dummies: simply, the art of escaping from the constraints of one's emotions and fears to attain happiness, flow and power under all circumstances. Whatever the definition, the idea is to achieve freedom from our physical, mental and emotional limitations in order to surpass ourselves, to achieve durable, effortless, power. Finding this "ordinary transcendence", rather than a Buddha-type enlightenment, enables us to make the impact we desire everyday, requiring only the discipline, curiosity and courage to persist in the search. I think that Mr. Earle has some of the answers in his notes - it is achieved through going through things, and it does allow us to rise above ourselves, or at least to rise above our lizard brains (see: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/quieting-the-lizard-brain.html). Some of the milestones en route to this simple transcendence are:
Living an integrated life
Combine everything. Instead of compartmentalizing life into work, family, pastimes, sport, arts, etc. find the fundamental principles that apply across all areas, so that everything you do aligns and contributes to the overall goal.

Finding plenty of plate-glass windows to jump through
Relish the challenges, use them to figure out how to remain happy and on balance, whatever happens. I see people at work feeling stressed and downtrodden; that shouldn't happen, we have to have a "bring it on" attitude, keep smiling and light on our feet in the face of all hardships. Work is about getting results that are mutually beneficial--for us as well as the organizations we work for--and the ability to gracefully transcend everyday pressures is such a benefit, allowing us to be happier and more effective both inside and outside of work.

Knowing how to use every experience, good or bad, to become stronger
The badder the day, the bigger the challenge, the better the chance of taking another step towards transcendence for dummies. Reflect on how to make the best impact under the circumstances, stay calm and work on your strategy, stay happy in each moment and success will come.

As Steve Earle says in another of his songs:
The revolution starts now 
When you rise above your fear 
And tear the walls around you down 
The revolution starts here 
Where you work and where you play....
If you haven't started, it's time to re-evolve: