Speed is Your Friend
What do you think would be easier?
A. Hitting a cricket ball bowled at you with the speed of 130km/h, or
B. Hitting a golf ball sitting on the ground
We can acknowledge both are difficult for the novice and the advanced athlete in line with context of expectation. In situation A there are many variables - the bounce, the movement of the ball through the air, the angles of pitch, the list goes on... In situation B the variables are fewer - the ball is stationary, there is no time pressure, and you have complete control over when and how you hit the ball. But, here in lies the problem. In having so much time and agency there is one factor in situation B that counts against us - our conscious mind.
Timothy Gallwey, writes in his book The Inner Game of Tennis about the two Self's - Self 1 and Self 2. Each an identity within us. Self 1 represents the the talker - the self that chats away and directs us to do what needs to be done. This self points out all the learnings, variables, technical data and instructions we have been taught. Self 2 represents the do'er - the self that executes the skill and learns the techniques to get better. It also listens to the feedback from Self 1 including criticisms and judgements. This is where Self 2 (the conscious mind) becomes a hindrance rather than a help to performing well in any situation. Having time to think doesn't help us perform.
If we look at everyday work and projects we are responsible for, we usually crave more time. There is a legitimate need when the work-at-hand simply does not fit into the physical time we have in our lives. This is complex mix of decision making, strategic, and communication challenges. But, when we simply need to get stuff done as proficiently as possible, our instinct to gain or have as much time as possible can be incorrect. More time does not mean better result.
In his book Effortless, Greg McKeown shares a story about how he needed to do a presentation for an important client. It was a huge opportunity for him and his business. He had agreed the usual preprepared work he does for such presentations he had executed many times. Instead of rocking up and just doing what he usually does he spent the days and nights leading up the event tweaking and expanding his content to make it as perfect as possible. When it came to the big day he was mentally and physically cooked and the message was diluted severely by the complexity he had inserted with all his extra work. He blew it through over-trying, coming from over thinking.
This happens to us when we have too much time. It could be throwing a piece of rubbish into the bin, building a strategic project with your business, or anything in between - there is value in instinct and quick. This is why speed can be our best friend in performance. Where there is no room for doubt, self-sabotage, or cloudy complexity. Tim Gallwey's Self 2 - the extraordinarily talented, clever and competent body/instinctual mind can do the work that needs to be done. As Harry Connick Junior once said about performing on stage, "Lets what needs to just happen". This is the very definition of getting out of our own way. Something that is much easier to understand than it is to do.
There is value in seizing the lack of time in our lives to gain the best result possible. I see this as a wonderful way to increase our individual and collective Return of Effort in our professional (and sporting) pursuits.
