#112

Welcome to Whisper #112.

Paradoxical lessons (reminders) from the OT

Earlier this year, I completed the Overland Track (OT) hike in Tasmania with some mates and the experience reminded me of these potentially conflicting and/or complimentary insights.

Whilst none are true 100% of the time, I’ve found them helpful frames to consider what to pay attention to, what I might do next, what progress I can make, what not to do, etc, etc.

The contrasts remind me of “All models are wrong but some can be useful” – a seemingly paradoxical quote attributed to the English statistician George Box nearly 50 years ago.

In our complex and sometimes polarising world perhaps holding the tension between opposing views opens up a separate path to success.

BBC Worklife: Why the 'paradox mindset' is the key to success

The point is, that frameworks, mental models, decision trees, principles, formulas, recipes, 7 steps to… can all be helpful in pointing to a future that others have navigated but ultimately we have to carve our own nuanced and unique path.

All of these insights are unlikely to serve you 100% of the time but I found, and continue to find, some of them helpful in certain situations.

You get to decide which ones, when, where, how, and with whom… or not.

#1 STOP, PAUSE AND LOOK BACK

The walking fitness of the group was a bit better than mine so I ended up being back marker on a few occasions.

I enjoyed the position because I didn’t feel like I was holding anyone up when I stopped to take a breath. The pause also allowed me to take a perspective on where we’d come from. In looking back, I had a greater sense of achievement of where I was in relative terms, to where I’d come from. When I stopped, paused, and looked back I could take in the view and it allowed me a fresh perspective on how I got where I was.

# WHISPER Don’t be so focused on making progress that you forget to look back on where you’ve come from; appreciate how you got here; celebrate and be thankful for the journey so far. After all, how many of us remember when we wished for what we have now?

 
#2 FOCUS ON WHAT’S IN FRONT OF YOU

The moments I stumbled were usually because I was looking too far ahead.

Of course, I took a look at what was ahead of me but I usually did that when I was still, resting or paused. When I was moving and looked too far ahead, that’s when I usually got caught out.

#WHISPER It’s easy to get sucked into only thinking ahead and there are times to do so. Day by day perhaps we are more equipped to focus on what’s right in front of us whether it be the things we have or the meeting or person were with.

NEW RELEASE
Freedom Fridays Episode 75 Featuring Pete Lawson

In Episode 75 Pete chats to another Pete – Pete Lawson, a livestock farmer based in country NSW. They met through a mutual friend and connected whilst completing the Overland Track in Tasmania.

What was intriguing about Pete’s story is the framework he was introduced to as a 19-year-old that he has used in setting and delivering on his goals ever since – not just for himself but his entire family! It’s a practical take on the "Know, Do, Be" goal-setting framework in which they chat about on-farm and off-farm assets; caring for the landscape beyond his tenure; and what sort of person he wanted to be and how that’s evolved.

It's a great example of the practical and genuine application of a theoretical framework that Pete wasn’t aware he was following. Tune in to hear some real-life examples of how you can bring it to life.

         

         

That's all for this week. If you’ve been enjoying the Weekly Whispers please feel free to forward it to friends and anyone you think would benefit.

As always, email me at [email protected] to share your feedback or to let me know your thoughts.

Cheers

Pete