It is fitting that this is posted on 3.14.11 – or Pi Day if you happen to run in mathematics circles. While most of my friends would rather celebrate PIE DAY, a number of my friends have acknowledged Pi Day via facebook or text. Pi or "π," which holds an approximate numeric value of 3.14159265… drifts off into in to an incalculable number of decimal places beyond those used in normal calculation (several billion at last count).
Recently it’s come to my attention that many of us view the world in terms of Pi colored lenses. That is to say we view the world in as having endless resources and possibilities. While we may believe that if we want something bad enough it will be there. The reality is that like Pi eventually the numbers will run out.
We seem to always be in search of more.
More money
More benefits
More security
More promotion
More status
More car
More stuff
More travel
More vacation
More weekend
More energy
More muscle
More time
Our workplaces demand more:
More sales
More contacts
More results
More phone calls
More hours
More access to you (thank you smart phones)
More profits
More growth
When is there ever enough?
Eventually the bubble will burst. Our company, culture, or community will reach a saturation point when there is not enough. Eventually we will have no more.
When that time comes where will we stand?
Instead of simply focusing on growth, we must adopt a mindset that allows for sustainability. Natural resources, social security, and job security for teachers are all examples of social fixtures that many assumed would always be there, like the number of decimal places of Pi drifting through eternity. The sad reality of the past decade has only reinforced that the things too are finite.
Perhaps we should focus on “enough.”
This is not a call for mediocrity or laziness, rather a call to right thinking. If your work continues to ask you to do more without providing additional resources or benefits – eventually one burns out. If every new driver in America needs to have a gas guzzling SUV—the cost of fuel skyrockets and eventually the fossil fuels run out. If every newly wed couple goes into debt buying a house big enough for a family of eight then defaults on the loan– eventually the credit rates for all pay the price.
The point here is not that growth is bad. Rather, growth must be cultivated responsibly and reasonably in order to be sustainable. We must find balance. We must take a deep breath and focus on what is truly important.
We must find a point at which to sustain and maintain ourselves, because our resources of time, talent, and treasure are, unlike Pi, are not infinite.
Recently it’s come to my attention that many of us view the world in terms of Pi colored lenses. That is to say we view the world in as having endless resources and possibilities. While we may believe that if we want something bad enough it will be there. The reality is that like Pi eventually the numbers will run out.
We seem to always be in search of more.
More money
More benefits
More security
More promotion
More status
More car
More stuff
More travel
More vacation
More weekend
More energy
More muscle
More time
Our workplaces demand more:
More sales
More contacts
More results
More phone calls
More hours
More access to you (thank you smart phones)
More profits
More growth
When is there ever enough?
Eventually the bubble will burst. Our company, culture, or community will reach a saturation point when there is not enough. Eventually we will have no more.
When that time comes where will we stand?
Instead of simply focusing on growth, we must adopt a mindset that allows for sustainability. Natural resources, social security, and job security for teachers are all examples of social fixtures that many assumed would always be there, like the number of decimal places of Pi drifting through eternity. The sad reality of the past decade has only reinforced that the things too are finite.
Perhaps we should focus on “enough.”
This is not a call for mediocrity or laziness, rather a call to right thinking. If your work continues to ask you to do more without providing additional resources or benefits – eventually one burns out. If every new driver in America needs to have a gas guzzling SUV—the cost of fuel skyrockets and eventually the fossil fuels run out. If every newly wed couple goes into debt buying a house big enough for a family of eight then defaults on the loan– eventually the credit rates for all pay the price.
The point here is not that growth is bad. Rather, growth must be cultivated responsibly and reasonably in order to be sustainable. We must find balance. We must take a deep breath and focus on what is truly important.
We must find a point at which to sustain and maintain ourselves, because our resources of time, talent, and treasure are, unlike Pi, are not infinite.
