Imagine you’ve learned how to do something well.
Really well.
Really, REALLY well.
To your best ability, in fact.
To the point where, no matter how much longer you keep going, you’ll never get any better than this.
Now…
Why keep on doing it?
After all, you’ve peaked.
Hit your max.
Maximized your potential.
What’s left?
Sure, there are two sound reasons to keep doing it. (If you come up with any more, please tell me!)
1. Because others might benefit from it. e.g. a doctor will heal sick bodies, a cook will feed hungry mouths
2. Because you’ll get other benefits from it. e.g. be paid well for what you do well, or be famous for your good performance
Still, in both cases, your own personal growth and development becomes stunted.
I’ll use an analogy to explain.
Let’s take me performing an open heart surgery to repair ASD (atrial septal defects).
In the beginning, while I was training – and shortly afterwards – a typical procedure took 2 to 3 hours.
My patient was ventilated overnight.
Bleeding or other complications weren’t uncommon.
In the end, by the time I chose to stop operating, the same repair took 75 minutes – at most.
My patients were extubated in the OT, and didn’t need ventilation at all. Complications were very rare.
Also, I was enjoying the surgery and felt absolutely no stress – unlike when as a beginner I was always anxious about bad outcomes.
Could this be improved?
Sure.
But any further incremental improvements would have only been peripheral… and trivial. Cosmetic, and unimportant.
At this point…
Why keep doing it?
In terms of improvement, you’ve nowhere left to go.
You’re doing whatever it is – with less than your total involvement.
Without challenging yourself on all levels.
Because as you get better at anything, it takes less of your effort, time, attention, and even skill to perform.
(Remember the premise upon which this all hinges: you’re already at your personal limit, at your individual best – and cannot get better at this… ever!)
Objectively, then, it would sound logical… to stop.
And try something else.
Explore anything new. Different. Unfamiliar.
Stuff that challenges you anew.
Requires you to deploy latent skills.
Or acquire new ones.
Things that test your potential in other ways, in fresh directions, and along diverse paths.
Because…
If you’re not growing, you’re dying!
It’s just as true of organizations, businesses and empires, as it is of individuals.
A constant search of ways and means to grow and develop… explore new dimensions… expand old perspectives… and sample novel experiences…
All of this ought to be natural.
We should logically anticipate such a progression.
Embrace the risk of failure that it entails.
Accept the discomfort of unfamiliarity that it brings along.
Because we’re choosing life – over a slow, meandering death.
And yet…
How many think that way?
If you’re not growing, you’re dying!
So why keep on doing the same-old, same-old?
Maybe right now is a useful watershed.
To help you decide.
Decide to take a chance.
Stop blindly keep on doing what you’ve already become REALLY good at…
To try something new.
Maybe?
Hmm…
🤔