1-2 times per week I find myself on an exercise rower. At first, I was somewhat intimated by the rower. I had seen people use them before, but only about nine months ago I had never been on one. After learning the basics, it was added to my weekly routine. The basics of how I use this rower is typically in sets of 500 meter sprints. The setting that is common is going for a specific distance (500M for me) and then keeping an eye on your time, given as Minutes and Seconds per 500M – your pace.
The movement for a row includes extending your legs, pulling your arms towards your chest and leaning back just a bit. Then on the way in you extend your arms, pull your legs to your chest. This is almost a recoil to explode again then and stretch your legs and pull in. Here is a 1-minute video of this process. There is a system and method to do this right. If done wrong you might open yourself to injury, or you may put in the work to do the row, but because it’s done wrong you wouldn’t gain the level of fitness for the effort you are putting in (inefficiency).
Sometimes when rowing, my mind wanders a bit – taking my focus off the process and I notice my pace (minutes per 500M) can get longer – let’s say a 2:20 pace (lower numbers are faster), but my effort is the same. I’m putting in the work, but because I’m lost in other thought, my pace grows slower. At the same time, sometimes I get a bit anxious and will pull fast for a sprint maybe getting a 1:50 pace, but I can’t maintain my form or my system. It looks to be a better pace, but it’s not sustainable, and I look like a fool because I have not dialed in my form and process enough yet to effectively pull at that speed. The best process for me is to focus on the process instead of the time. To put my mind at work in each process to think about my pull form, to get the best extensions and recoils. When not thinking about the time, but the process that produces the right result – I pull between 1:55 and a 2:00 pace. Significantly faster than when my mind wanders but only a little bit slower than ‘all out.’ When I focus on each process the difference in how I feel and my efficiencies are very different. I am more effective -the pulls look better, and I’m finding my optimal results from focusing on the process and not the time (or goal). The goal is achieved as a by-product of a good system.
The same is true in our business. We have systems and processes to succeed. We have a form, reason, and a why for our operations. It may seem like we get-ahead further by letting a system or process go – but I continue to find it’s short-lived and not sustainable or scale-able. Good systems should help serve us to offer consistent results. We should learn from our past, and do that through documented systems, checklists, and reminders. Systems should enhance our process – not complicate things or take away from the real work.
It’s a constant work in progress. We learn – we document – we train. We learn – we document – we train. It’s like owning a home; the work is never done, there is always something that needs to be fixed, painted, mowed, or remodeled. We come to terms with that, and we go to work – day in and day out- because building an amazing company doesn’t happen by ‘sit and forget’ – we go to work, we adapt, we grow, and succeed.
Heard. Watched. Read.
- The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong – A 15 minute TED talk from someone who has had to overcome loss and heartache and turn that into something else, so it didn’t overtake her. Strong will and perseverance here.
- “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.” – Proverbs 12:11
- Work Hard. Work Smart. Work Long. – Pick 1 to be good. Pick 2 to be great. Do all 3 to be unstoppable.