I have decided that the most crucial part of life is changing pace. Changing things up is crucial to relationships, sports, leadership, creativity, physical and mental health, and just about everything else in life. The person who remains constant, remains ineffective. Others will figure you out and tune you out.
To maintain a strong relationship with someone consistency and reliability are necessary, but the third ingredient is spontaniety. Taking the time to surprise your boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend goes a long way in a relationship.
In sports, changing gears is one of the most often overlooked and easiest skills to learn. Soccer players seem to pick it up more naturally. If you watch a soccer player play basketball they slow down and speed up more than everyone else on the court. When you’re taught to make a good cut in any sport, the mantra is “slow in, quick out.” Moving slowly lulls the defender to sleep, and then you explode. The person who sprints as hard as possible at all times, may seem admirable, but is generally an idiot. Hustle is great, when paired with intelligence.
Every effective leader knows when to control his emotions and when to release them. A coach or teacher that constantly yells, will get tuned out in a matter of days. But, the leader who shows a compassionate and sympathetic side will get more out of his subjects. His yelling will have context. “Oh wow, he must have reason to be disappointed.” “He must think we can do better.” He won’t just be an angry person.
A gearless wonder is someone who traps themselves in a mental framwork that’s unchanging. Someone who thinks in black and white, and only stays white. The interesting thing is , they can be at opposite ends of the “work ethic spectrum.” A gearless wonder can be the most ass-tight, workaholic ever. But, if he doesn’t take time to gather himself it will show in his work. It will get done efficiently, but not effectively and everyone will hate you for jacking up stress levels. On the other end of the spectrum is the stoner/slacker, who believes that nothing is crucial or important. While I understand this thought process, it sucks. Heed thy advice Mr. Gearless Wonder: If you don’t take a single thing in this world seriously, no one will take you seriously. And conversely, if you consider everything a life or death matter, you’ll have no friends.
