Riding my bike to work has taught me many things. One is about gears. A gear turns energy into movement; the right gear give the most efficient conversion of energy the wrong gear burns up energy and gains little movement. Bike gears change the ratio of the times you turn the crank to the number of times the wheel turns. In life gears can be a metaphor for the level of activity relating to the level of results.
Learn
What you have to learn, and it is more by experience than by instruction, is when to change gears. Many of us change our pace from the work week to the week end but there may be other times when we should change gears, or the pace.
*Would things go better if the activity was moving faster or slower?
*Is it time to change gear and slow down or speed up?
Know
Know which gear you are in. It can be very discouraging to be struggling along and to think that you are in the best gear and then to look down at the sprocket and see that you were in the wrong gear. Pay attention to what you are doing, what you are feeling, and how things are reacting.
*Is this the fast gear or the slow gear?
*What are others saying?
The secret
The secret is to pay attention: Don't let the constant turning of the crank lull you into thinking everything is OK. Don't get caught by the attitude that says "This is what we are doing and this is what we will keep on doing."
*Why do we do it this way?
*What other ways are there?
Anticipate
Anticipate the change. Scan the road ahead and plan for the change. Don't wait until you are in the struggle to change the gear. That is when the chain and gears are under pressure- they will grind and wear the sprocket and if the chain is rusty it may even break. Changing the gears in anticipation saves grief and gets you to the top quicker. In life and business we must anticipate the next season or the change in the market.
*What is ahead on the calendar?
*What are the emerging trends?
Choose to be efficient
Being in the right gear gives you speed on the flat road or power to climb the hill, to be in the wrong gear means you are spending a lot of energy turning the crank on the flat or straining your joints and muscles on the hill. Look at the projects you are involved in and ask if it is the most efficient way. Even if you are not in a hurry you want to be efficient, when the ride is over you want to have energy left over for work or other recreation.
Learn
What you have to learn, and it is more by experience than by instruction, is when to change gears. Many of us change our pace from the work week to the week end but there may be other times when we should change gears, or the pace.
*Would things go better if the activity was moving faster or slower?
*Is it time to change gear and slow down or speed up?
Know
Know which gear you are in. It can be very discouraging to be struggling along and to think that you are in the best gear and then to look down at the sprocket and see that you were in the wrong gear. Pay attention to what you are doing, what you are feeling, and how things are reacting.
*Is this the fast gear or the slow gear?
*What are others saying?
The secret
The secret is to pay attention: Don't let the constant turning of the crank lull you into thinking everything is OK. Don't get caught by the attitude that says "This is what we are doing and this is what we will keep on doing."
*Why do we do it this way?
*What other ways are there?
Anticipate
Anticipate the change. Scan the road ahead and plan for the change. Don't wait until you are in the struggle to change the gear. That is when the chain and gears are under pressure- they will grind and wear the sprocket and if the chain is rusty it may even break. Changing the gears in anticipation saves grief and gets you to the top quicker. In life and business we must anticipate the next season or the change in the market.
*What is ahead on the calendar?
*What are the emerging trends?
Choose to be efficient
Being in the right gear gives you speed on the flat road or power to climb the hill, to be in the wrong gear means you are spending a lot of energy turning the crank on the flat or straining your joints and muscles on the hill. Look at the projects you are involved in and ask if it is the most efficient way. Even if you are not in a hurry you want to be efficient, when the ride is over you want to have energy left over for work or other recreation.
