EPHEMERALIZATION: To do more and more with less and less until eventually you can do everything with nothing.
The document you are about to read is a collection of THIRTEEN ideas, lessons and practical algorithms that can be used in a variety of ways. Principally to decrease the time, effort or to most effectively use limited resources to accomplish a task or objective.
You likely would have heard the saying “Less is more” but is it?
In my mid twenties I developed a rare and frustrating illness called CFS/ME after a short and mild bout of glandular fever.
At the time, I had only recently left the military and was in the process of retraining as a plumber and I was still working out four nights a week at the local boxing gym too. I was then and have always been interested in PEAK PERFORMANCE and pushing my mind and body to the very limits. But as this illness took over, as my body refused to agree with me despite my frustrated attempts to push back against it, I was forced to learn something else and a different way. This thinking was my path to the path of least resistance. This less is more approach is not something I practice only sometimes, but has become my every day way of thinking. It is not a matter of being lazy or clever, but one of necessity. To conserve my limited supply of energy most effectively. Something CFS/ME has otherwise stolen from me.
The are likely hundreds of small tips and tricks, algorithms and other ways to better prioritize and most effectively use limited resources, whatever the constraints may be. But in a true less is more fashion, I would like to present the THIRTEEN fundamentals, the few tricks that I have learned from this experience that can be applied in a wide range of disciplines. To help you to optimize and streamline your endeavors, whatever those may be.
1) PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN A CURE
The earliest possible chance to influence an outcome is usually where the least effort has the greatest effect on the whole. In martial arts, it is widely accepted that it is better to deflect a force than to combat it head on. In military escape and evasion training, I was taught that escape should always be made at the earliest possible opportunity as the further you travel the road to capture, the more resources the enemy commands against you. In Defense health school as a medic in training, I was taught about preventative medicine and the role of sanitation and plumbing in prevention of infectious disease. Later in construction and trade training, I was taught to always measure twice, cut once. And in Sun Tzu’s the Art of War, the supreme art of war is to defeat the enemy without fighting.
2) THE PARETO PRINCIPLE (80-20 RULE)
The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. Other names for this principle are the 80/20 rule, the law of the vital few.
If there is one solid principle to play with and use, this is it.
The 80-20 rule was first identified with the study of economics and that of Italian land owners, it was noted that 80% of the land was owned by only 20% of the population. This trend then continued to be noticed in a wide range of disciplines.
It is now most often employed in quality and risk management disciplines as a simple strategy to target the vital few mistakes that have the greatest responsibility in the overall performance of the whole. For example, 20% of coding errors will typically account for 80% of the complaints, or 20% of identified health and safety risks will account for 80% of incidents resulting in time off work. By focusing more energy on those vital few, over the many, you can use less energy to more effectively influence the performance of the whole.
3) KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE
The name might trigger some animal activists, but don’t let that bother you. Performing more functions with one action or tool is always an advantageous strategy. If you can do more with less. Do it. Whether it be one person who performs multiple jobs simultaneously, or mastery of juggling concurrent activities. Being able to get more done at the same time is a win for everybody involved.
There are three obvious applications where this skill can be further refined.
CONCURRENT ACTIVITIES: Prioritize longer passive tasks early on, so as to be able to do shorter more active tasks in between. We often do this daily with chores or at work, cooking dinners for example. We would turn the oven on to warm first before the prep even begins and begin the recipe with preparing the longest to cook ingredients first. And leave the delicate short tasks to the end. Situations where concurrent activities take place are varied and applicable in a wide range of occasions and are incredibly useful at preserving time when it is in scarce supply.
MULTI TOOLS: Tools, positions or equipment that can perform multiple roles. The most basic concept is of a swiss army knife, that includes a screwdriver, file and a pair of scissors. This single pocket sized tool is able to cut, remove fixtures and remove rough edges without having to carry a tool box. Another tools we use daily is our smart phones. Call, message, check the map, your emails and take a photo. Look up a recipe for dinner, plot something on the calendar and more. But the multitool concept does not only have to apply to tools and gadgets but also positions and skillsets too. In the military the reserve force soldiers often come from a wide variety of backgrounds. He might be employed as a driver but a plumber and handyman too. Within military special operations environments, where small units are preferential. Most operators (all operators) wear multiple hats and perform more than one stand alone position within the squad.
ROUTE OPTIMIZATION: Refers to a subset of the kill two birds with one stone principle, primarily regarding logistics and travel optimization. How can you most effectively get around town and back home, in the most efficient manner that dodges traffic and meets all applicable deadlines. There is typically always a sequence of movement that takes you the easiest path with the least backtracking and waiting required in between.
4) GRAB AND GO
Common tools are used commonly. Common processes become habit. Habit then creates mastery by constant repetition. In the army, we all had a pack or bag that was in a permanent state of readiness for deployment. It never needed thought. It was there, ready to go in a moment at any given moment. The bug out bag is a kit of tools or resources that can be deployed rapidly at any time. It is mobile and easily uplifted from one place and ready to go at another. We have small examples of these everywhere. A first aid kit. You likely subconsciously keep certain items in your car or wallet in case you need them. But the bug out bag idea has a wide range of applications in all aspects of life. If you find yourself in a position where rapid responses may arise. Consider the tools and resources you need most commonly and make these into a kit. The preparation at the beginning pays itself off within the first few uses guaranteed.
5) SYSTEM THINK
Holistic systems exist everywhere, natural and man made. Where the effect on one part of the system often echoes into others. It is the way these systems connect with one another, where the influences wax and wane, that intrigues me and is important to know and remember. Whether you look at it from a health perspective and the miraculous role of our body in keeping homeostasis. Or from an ecological perspective and the delicate balance of our environments ecosystems. Or even in business where operations meet the demand driven by sales and marketing and administration and accounting monitors the financial spread sheets constantly assessing for efficiency to maximize profit. Systems which intertwine with one another exists everywhere and for too long have we attempted to compartmentalize them. Understanding how an effect in one system, overlaps with another seemingly unrelated system is essential for identifying root causes. Root causes, often hidden from the symptoms seen at the surface are often subtle. But if you want to promote the optimal health of the whole, you will find using the PARETO PRINCIPLE explained up above, in conjunction with this SYSTEM THINK. You will then have a powerful combination of actions leading to the first concept PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN A CURE.
6) ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
But never forget the simple game of rock, paper, scissors and the powerful lesson it offers. Too many of us are looking for the one tool. The best tool. The best resource, diet, fitness regime whatever. When this is seldom ever the case. Like the game rock, paper, scissors. Like in plumbers toolbox, where no tool is more important than another. Like different styles of martial arts in MMA or styles of fighters in boxing, eg inside fighters, outside fighters and counterpunchers. There exists patterns where one will beat another but be beaten by another and by another and so on.
7) USE NUMERICAL SCALES
“How sore is your headache on a scale between zero and ten, with zero being no pain and ten being the worst pain you can ever imagine?”
If I had a dollar for every time I had uttered that phrase, I wouldn’t have to leave the house anymore unless I wanted to. But using these numeric scales is incredibly useful to communicate particular qualities to others. Whether that be the qualities of pain, or the prestige of your hotel. The categories of a hurricane, or the scale of an earthquake. I sincerely imagine the current Pandemic panic would have been avoided if only there was a scale to communicate the harm caused by infectious disease. This category 1.5 pandemic is being responded to like it is a category 5 and the over active response has been far more hazardous than the risk itself.
8) TRIAGE
Not all problems are equal. Triage is a system of thought used in the emergency medical care settings for distinguishing between urgent and non urgent treatment. It is widely used in mass casualty scenarios at the initial screening, where treating one casualty may impede on the success of another. Limited resources (Time, man power, equipment) must be distributed accordingly.
This same system of thought can be used in a wide variety of situations and is applicable in business and life in general.
T1 = Severe condition requiring urgent treatment.
T2 = Severe injuries, but not immediately life threatening.
T3 = The walking wounded, treatment required but is non urgent.
T4 = Dead or nearly dead aka the too hard basket. Resources spent on these casualties may result in the death of others.
9) EISENHOWER MATRIX
Similar to triage systems above, the Eisenhower matrix was a time management tool developed during the 20th century and is speculated as the name implies to be a tool used and promoted by President Eisenhower who was allegedly a master at planning and coordinating his busy schedule. The premise of use is fairly self evident if you look at the graphic below. This is a useful tool or way of thinking for anyone with a busy/overloaded schedule.
10) FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS
In martial arts, in sport, as a combat medic and in all other walks of life and professions. We often spend too much energy focusing on the next cutting edge tool or method to get an edge and get ahead. I remember being a young enthusiastic medic, itching and foaming at the mouth wanting to practice only the most severe and complicated scenarios. My sergeant however reigned me in. He instead was insistent on focusing only on the fundamentals. Do the basics, do them right, do them all day, do them all night. Do them so often you can do them with eyes closed. Then in the heat of battle you will work well composed.
11) PASSION BREEDS EXCELLENCE
What is your passion and for what do you yearn? It is easiest to master what is most enjoyable to learn. So if you have children, are a supervisor or manager. Let those who want to take on the tough job do so. Because passion is an essential part on the arduous road to excellence.
There are two methods one can do to improve themselves and others. One is to focus on correcting weaknesses and to minimize them. The other is to focus on what you are good at, what you enjoy and master those. Distribute your energy wisely. I personally spend approximately 80% of my time focusing on what I most enjoy. I equally only spend 20% of my time on that I do not but is important. This IMHO is the golden ratio.
12) MARATHONS ARE RUN ONE STEP AT A TIME
Small consistent improvements stack up. A little energy today may seem too small to be of benefit. But applied regularly and consistently, see where you end up in a year or so. The amount of times I have gone into a business and seen chaos and disorder. The list of improvements I recommend, endless. Logistic breakdowns. Communication conundrums. No time for training staff, both the existing and the new. No money is available. Quality complaints keep calling in.
Once a plan is identified (Typically using many of the methods described above) small, consistent changes are to be made and encouraged. Many business directors will want it all done at once. But this is not possible. This thinking only ever leads to more disorder, mutiny and dissidence. Just like you cannot go to the gym only once or twice and walk out looking like a cage fighter, no matter how hard you workout. The only real road to progress is through habit and consistency. One step at a time.
13) THE MOUSE, THE BIRD AND THE SAUSAGE
A classic short tale from the brothers’ Grimm collection, oozes with wisdom.
Once upon a time a mouse, a bird and a sausage become companions, kept a house together, lived well and happily with each other and wonderfully increased their possessions. The bird’s work was to fly everyday into the forest to collect and bring back wood. The mouse had to fetch the water, light the fire and lay the table, but the sausage had to cook.
He who is too well off is always longing for something new.
One day whilst out flying the bird met another in the wood. They talked for a while and the bird mentioned how bored and tired he was getting always having to go further and further in search of new kindling and wood. He spoke of his arrangements and his household and the other bird sat listening. “Oh how about you change, it seems unfair the others get to stay at home while you are out doing all the hardest work" he eventually rebutted.
On returning home the bird organized a meeting with the mouse and sausage. There they agreed that they should change it up and each try something different. They would take turns doing each others jobs.
The very next day the little sausage went out towards the wood to collect sticks, the little bird lit the fire and fetched the water and the mouse waited at home ready to cook.
But the sausage didn’t return for a long time and so the bird worried and went out in search of his friend. There he found a hungry dog had eaten the sausage. Startled he hurried home to tell the mouse. But the house was empty too, for the mouse fell into the pot and drowned and boiled to death. The bird in despair knocked the fire and it spread and engulfed the whole house with the bird burned alive inside it.
So, what do you think the moral of the story is here?