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Veliko ljudi prebere veliko knjig o zdravem življenju in samopomoči, posluša podcaste, obiskuje terapevte, hodi v fitnes, se zdravo prehranjuje, a se še vedno počutijo kot da niso na pravi poti ter da jim vse spodleti. Njihovo življenje je še vedno v razsulu, še vedno se težko prebijajo kljub številnim nasvetom in napotkom, ki so jih "izvedeli". Samopomoč pri večini ljudi ne deluje. Zelo se trudijo, da bi "naredili pravo stvar", dosegli nekaj rezultatov, vendar se mnogi med njimi vrnejo k svojim starim navadam in rutini. ZAKAJ?
"Ne dvignete se na raven svojih ciljev, ampak padete na raven svojih sistemov." - Atomske navade, James Clear
Vaš cilj je želeni rezultat. Vaš sistem je zbirka vsakodnevnih navad, ki vam bodo pomagale doseči cilj. Toda zakaj je tako težko oblikovati dobre in produktivne navade ter se jih držati? Odgovor se morda skriva globoko v objektivni situaciji.
Pot najmanjšega odpora
Robert Fritz se v Poti najmanjšega odpora poglobi razumevanje, kako strukture v naših življenjih uravnavajo naše vedenje in kako jih lahko s pomočjo ustvarjalnega procesa prestrukturiramo, da bi izpolnili svojo vizijo.
Koncept poti najmanjšega odpora lahko najbolje opišemo na naslednji način:
"Ste kot reka. Skozi življenje greste po poti najmanjšega odpora. ... Če struga reke ostane nespremenjena, bo voda še naprej tekla po poti, ki jo je vedno imela, saj je to zanjo najbolj naravna pot. Če temeljna struktura vašega življenja ostane nespremenjena, je največja težnja, da sledite isti smeri, ki jo je vaše življenje vedno ubiralo. ... Tako kot lahko inženirji spremenijo pot reke tako, da spremenijo strukturo terena, da reka teče tja, kamor želijo, lahko tudi vi spremenite osnovno strukturo svojega življenja, tako da si ustvarite življenje, kakršnega si želite."
Če se poskušamo spremeniti, ne da bi se lotili temeljne strukture, se lahko zdi, da je napredek izgubljena bitka. Zanašamo se na moč volje, da bomo sprejeli "pravo" odločitev. Sčasoma popustimo in se na koncu vrnemo na staro pot najmanjšega odpora ter na koncu pridemo do istih rezultatov.
Dobra novica je, da se lahko naučite prepoznati strukture, ki delujejo v vašem življenju, in jih spremenite tako, da boste lahko ustvarili tisto, kar si resnično želite ustvariti.
Miselnost reševanja problemov je lahko sama po sebi problem
Če je vaš cilj shujšati, odpraviti stres, ozdraviti travmo ali ozdraviti bolezen, vam najverjetneje ne bo uspelo. Zakaj? Ker so vsi ti cilji usmerjeni v reševanje problemov. Ko tako močno razmišljate o zdravem prehranjevanju, vam vaša podzavest verjetno sporoča, da ste nezdravi. Ali pa ste spregledali željo po nagradi, dokler vaši možgani glasno ne zakričijo in vas nagovarjajo, da si privoščite košček čokolade. [Preberi več: Kako do prave miselnosti za hujšanje]
Čemur se upirate, vztraja. - Carl Jung
Ko se osredotočite na določeno stvar, se energija na tem področju okrepi in postane bolj oprijemljiva. Najslabši možni scenarij je, da več energije kot vložite v odpravljanje težave, močneje se bo odbila in vas zadela.
"Ko olajšanje postane gonilna sila, ljudje pogosto sprejemajo ukrepe, ki niso v njihovem najboljšem interesu."
"Reševanje problemov je lahko zelo moteče, hkrati pa vam daje iluzijo, da počnete nekaj pomembnega in potrebnega."
"Ko rešujete problem, ukrepate, da bi nekaj izginilo: problem. Ko ustvarjate, delujete zato, da bi nekaj nastalo: stvaritev. Opazite, da so nameni teh dejanj nasprotni."
- Pot najmanjšega odpora, Robert Fritz
Začnite ustvarjati življenje, ki si ga želite
Korak 1: Oblikovanje vizije
Vizija je ključno orodje za uspeh. Brez nje ljudje in njihove organizacije delujejo brez namena. To povzroča majhen učinek, kaos, izgorelost, slabo moralo v ekipi in razvoj toksične delovne kulture ali odnosov.
Vizija je jasna mentalna slika tega, kar bi lahko bilo, ki jo poganja prepričanje, da bi moralo biti. - Andy Stanley, Vizionarstvo
Če želite ustvariti vizijo, se vprašajte: Kako je videti moja idealna prihodnost na področju (zdravja, družine, dela/kariere itd.)?
Korak 2: Sprejem temeljne odločitve za uresničitev vizije
Veliko ljudi zamenjuje iluzijo z vizijo ali pa zamenjuje željo s ciljem. Dejstvo je, da je vizija brez temeljne odločitve brezupna. Medtem ko vizija določa smer gibanja, so temeljne odločitve spremembe delovnega načrta na strugi reke.
Fritz za razlago tega koncepta uporabi primer kadilca:
"Če nikoli niste sprejeli temeljne odločitve, da boste postali nekadilec, potem ne glede na to, s kakšnim sistemom si boste pomagali pri opuščanju kajenja, ne boste uspešni. ... Po drugi strani pa, če ste sprejeli temeljno odločitev, da boste postali nekadilec, vam bo pomagal skoraj vsak sistem za prenehanje kajenja. ... Biti nekadilec je osnovno stanje, ki se zelo razlikuje od stanja kadilca, ki poskuša prenehati kaditi."
3. korak: Sprejmite realnost, da ustvarite, kar želite
Sprejemanje sebe in sveta okoli sebe ustvarja prostor za jasnost. Cilj je, da spremenite svoje dojemanje iz "kritičnega sodnika" v "objektivnega opazovalca" - pri tem se zavedate, kako gledate nase in na druge. Če stvari dopuščate takšne, kot so, namesto da se jim upirate, ustvarite prostor, v katerem boste v tem trenutku mirni.
O tem je Fritz napisal naslednje:
"Ko začnete opazovati resničnost, sveže začnite z mislijo, da ne veste ničesar. Ločite ideje, ki jih imate, od svojih opazovanj. ... če resnično želite vedeti, kakšna je resničnost, vaša opazovanja ne smejo biti obremenjena z vašimi predsodki. Potrebna je vaja, da odložite vnaprejšnje predstave in opazujete, kaj se resnično dogaja. Ko boste obvladali to prakso, boste imeli močno orodje, ki ga lahko uporabite za ustvarjanje tistega, kar je v vašem življenju najpomembnejše."
Ko ljudje trdijo, da "vse vem, vem, kaj naj naredim, vendar tega preprosto ne morem storiti", bodimo iskreni in skromni. Dejanja govorijo glasneje kot besede. Če teh nasvetov in napotkov ne uporabljate v praksi, je v resnici tako, da ne veste ničesar. In to je v redu. Vsakdo je bil nekoč dojenček in postopoma gradimo svoje telo ter se učimo spretnosti in znanja. Samo zato, ker imamo zdaj večje telo, še ne pomeni, da smo že odrasli. Zato imejte odprt um in ponižno srce, da sprejmete resničnost, nato pa si začnite ustvarjati prihodnost.
Korak 4: Osredotočenost kot dejanje
Če želite doseči napredek, začnite z majhnimi koraki. Presenečeni boste, kako hitro se ti majhni uspehi začnejo kopičiti v snežno kepo zagona. Če ne ukrepamo ali se ne osredotočimo, do sprememb ne bo nikoli prišlo.
Sprejmite odločitev. Motivacija sledi. Motivacija nas spodbudi k dejanjem, ukrepanje pa povzroči jasnost. Mi se odločimo. Odločitvi sledi motivacija. Ko naredite premik k želenemu rezultatu, vas to nato motivira, kar vas premakne v akcijo in povzroči spremembo.
"... ko ste sprejeli te odločitve, je čas na vaši strani, saj so strukturne težnje vašega življenja zdaj oblikovane tako, da izpolnjujejo te odločitve."
Korak 5: Uživajte v fazah ustvarjanja
Prva faza: kalitev
Za to fazo je značilen izbruh energije. Nova ideja, nova služba, prvi dnevi vaše diete, ko si vaša ekipa zastavi nov cilj, prvi tedni novega razmerja.
Kot pojasnjuje Fritz: "V začetnih fazah je veliko navdušenja, živahnega zanimanja in svežine. To je čas, ko je treba ukrepati. Pogosto se pojavijo velik vpogled, spoznanje, navdušenje, sprememba in občutek moči."
Druga faza: asimilacija
Najpomembnejša faza ustvarjalnega procesa je asimilacija. Začetne energije, ki ste jo dobili pri kaljenju, je konec in zdaj ste v fazi rasti in razvoja.
Fritz razmišlja: "V fazi asimilacije ponotranjite vizijo in jo naredite za del sebe. Začnete imeti vpoglede, ideje, povezave in dodaten zagon. Vaša stvaritev začne dobivati obliko. Postaja vse bolj oprijemljiva."
Tretja faza: Zaključek
Zadnja faza ustvarjalnega procesa je dokončanje, ki v najpreprostejši obliki pomeni dokončanje vaše stvaritve in njeno popolno uresničitev.
6. korak: Predelajte, živite s svojo stvaritvijo in ponovite postopek
"Če ne morete sprejeti tistega, kar ustvarjate, se ustavljate pred dokončanjem. Dokler popolnoma ne sprejmete rezultatov v svoje življenje, rezultati niso popolnoma ustvarjeni."
Fritz deli metodo za sprejemanje odločitev in določanje prednostnih nalog v življenju tako, da v možganski nevihti (brainstorming) zberete vse, kar si želite do konca življenja, in zožite na tisto, kar je bistveno.
"Ustvarjalci se redko upokojijo. ... Ker je v ustvarjalcu globoko hrepenenje po ustvarjanju. To ni ego v popularnem smislu, temveč namen v višjem smislu. Za ustvarjalca je vedno naslednji korak, vedno nov prostor, kamor se lahko odpravi, in nikoli ne le odšteva časa ter čaka, da se vse skupaj konča."
The Power of Creation by following "The Path of Least Resistance"
Many people read a lot of books on healthy living and self-help, listen to podcasts, visit therapists, go to gym, eat healthy and yet still feels directionless and failing. Their lives are still in a mess, they are still struggling despite the many tips and advice they have “known”. Self-help does not work for the majority of people. They tried hard to “do the right thing”, get some results, but many of them fall back into their old habits and routines. WHY?
“You don’t rise to the level of your goals, but fall to the level of your systems”. - Atomic Habits by James Clear
Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there. And yet, why is it so hard to form good and productive habits and stick with them? The answer might lie deep in the objective situation.
The Path of Least Resistance
The Path of Least Resistance by Robert Fritz is a deep dive into understanding how the structures in our lives govern our behavior and how, using the creative process, we can restructure to fulfill our vision.
The best way to describe the path of least resistance concept is this:
"You are like a river. You go through life taking the path of least resistance. ... If a riverbed remains unchanged, the water will continue to flow along the path it always has, since that is the most natural route for it to take. If the underlying structure of your life remains unchanged, the greatest tendency is for you to follow the same direction your life has always taken. ... Just as engineers can change the path of a river by changing the structure of the terrain so that the river flows where they want it to go, you can change the very basic structure of your life so that you can create the life you want."
If we attempt to change without addressing the underlying structure, progress can feel like a losing battle. We rely on willpower to make the "right" choice. In time, we give in and ultimately return to the old path of least resistance and end up having the same results.
The good news is: you can learn to recognize the structures at play in your life and change them so that you can create what you really want to create.
Problem Solving Mindset Could Be A Problem Itself
If your goal is to lose weight, relieve stress, heal trauma, cure disease, guess what, you are likely to fail. Why? Because they are all problem oriented thinking. When you think so hard about eating healthy, your subconscious mind could be telling you that you are unhealthy. Or, you overlooked your desire for a reward until your brain screams loud and urges you to get a piece of chocolate. [Read more: How To Get The Right Mindset For Weight Loss]
What you resist persists. - Carl Jung
When you fix your attention on something specific, the energy intensifies in that particular area, and it becomes more tangible. The worst case scenario is, the more energy you put into fixing the problem, the harder it is to rebound and hit on you.
"When relief becomes the driving force, people often take actions that are not in their own best interest."
"Problem-solving can be very distracting while at the same time giving you the illusion that you are doing something important and needed."
"When you are solving a problem, you are taking action to have something go away: the problem. When you are creating, you are taking action to have something come into being: the creation. Notice that the intentions of these actions are opposite."
- The Path of Least Resistance by Robert Fritz
Start Creating A Life You Want
Step 1: Build a Vision
Vision is a crucial tool for success. Without it, people and their organizations operate without purpose. This causes low impact, chaos, burnout, poor team morale, and the development of a toxic work culture or relationships.
Vision is a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be. - Andy Stanley in Visioneering
To create vision, ask yourself: What does my ideal future in (health, family, work/career, etc) look like?
Step 2: Make a fundamental choice to fulfill the vision
Many people confuse illusion as vision, or confuse a wish as a goal. The fact is that vision is hopeless without a fundamental choice. While vision sets the direction of movement, fundamental choices are the work plan changes on the riverbed.
Fritz uses the example of smoker to explain this concept:
"If you have never made the fundamental choice to be a nonsmoker, then no matter what system you try to help you quit smoking, it will not succeed. ... On the other hand, if you have made a fundamental choice to be a nonsmoker, just about any system to stop smoking will for you. ... Being a nonsmoker is a basic state of being, very different from the state of being of a smoker who is trying to quit."
Step 3: Accept reality to create what you want
Accepting yourself and the world around you to create space for clarity. The aim is to change your perception from ‘critical judge’ to ‘objective observer’ – being mindful of the way you view yourself and others. Allowing things as they are, rather than resisting, creates a space for you to be at peace in the moment.
Here is what Fritz wrote about this:
"When you begin to observe reality, begin freshly with the notion that you know nothing. Separate the ideas you have from your observations. ... if you truly want to know how reality is, your observations must not be burdened by your biases. It takes practice to put pre-conceived concepts aside and observe what is truly going on. When you master this practice, you will have a powerful tool you can use to create what matters most in your life."
When people claim that “I know everything, I know what to do but I just can’t do it”, let’s be honest and humble. Action speaks louder than words. If you are not putting those advice and tips into practice, the reality is, you know nothing. And it is ok. Everyone was once an infant and we gradually build our body and learn skills and knowledge. Just because we now have a bigger body, it does not mean that we have already grown. So keep an open mind and a humble heart to accept the reality then start creating a future for yourself.
Step 4: Focus as an action
If you actually want to make progress, start small. You’ll be surprised how quickly those small successes start to build into a snowball of momentum. If we don’t take action or focus, change will never come.
Make a decision. Motivation follows. Motivation moves us to action, taking action results in clarity. We decide. Then motivation follows that decision. When you’ve made a movement towards a desired outcome, this then motivates you, which moves you into action and results in a change.
"...once you have made these choices, time is on your side, for the structural tendencies of your life are now designed to fulfill those choices."
Step 5: Enjoy the stages of creation
Stage One: Germination
This stage is characterised with a burst of energy. A new idea, a new job, the first days of your diet, when your team sets a new goal, the first weeks of a new relationship.
As Fritz explains it, “During the initial stages excitement, keen interest, and freshness abound. It is a time for generating action. Great insight, realisation, enthusiasm, change, and a sense of power often occur.”
Stage Two: Assimilation
The most crucial stage of the creative process is assimilation. The initial energy that you got in germination is over and you are now in the stage of growth and development.
Fritz surmises “During the assimilation stage, you are internalising the vision, making it a part of yourself. You begin to have insights, ideas, connections, and added momentum. Your creation begins to take shape. It becomes more and more tangible.”
Stage Three: Completion
The final stage of the creative process is completion, which in its simplest form means finishing your creation and bringing it to full fruition.
Step 6: Revise, live with your creation, and repeat the process
“If you are unable to receive what you are creating, you are stopping short of completion. Until you fully accept the results into your life, the results are not fully created.”
Fritz shares a method for making choices and prioritizing your life by brainstorming everything you want for the rest of your life and narrowing in on what is essential.
"Creators hardly retire. ... Because there is in the creator a deep longing to create. This is not ego in the popular sense, but purpose in the higher sense. For a creator there is always a next step, always a new place to go, never just marking time, waiting for it all to end."