Welcome back.
In our last conversation,
I shared with you a small shift from doing to allowing,
To empower you to embody the water way.
In our conversation today,
We'll build on this by exploring the concept of the path of least resistance.
The path of least resistance is the physical or metaphorical pathway that provides the least resistance to forward motion by a given object or entity among a set of alternative paths.
The concept is often used to describe why an object or entity takes a given path.
Energy moves along the path of least resistance like water and even electric currents.
We humans too are known to take the path of least resistance.
Psychologist Tom Watt points out that when we think about anything,
We follow the path of least resistance.
Without realizing it,
We instantly and automatically categorize every situation we see based on our previous experience.
And we easily slip into habitual thought loops and patterns as well as behaviors based on our past conditioning,
Even in situations where these aren't necessarily constructive or good for us or the situation.
When change is attempted on a reactive or responsive level,
As usually is the case when a behavioral approach is adopted,
This change is temporary.
This is as true in organizations as it is in the lives of individuals.
Attempting to impose a change on a structure in which the path of least resistance sets up certain tendencies for behaviors is destined to fail.
Individuals and organizations have this in common.
If you've attempted to change something in your life,
Perhaps you wanted to improve,
To advance or to grow,
But you didn't change the underlying structures that cause the tendencies for you to behave in a certain way,
Then you're unlikely to succeed for long.
Why?
This is because you've not changed your path of least resistance.
In his book,
The Path of Least Resistance,
Consultant and musician Robert Fritz shares a key insight that the underlying structure of your life determines your path of least resistance.
Just as a riverbed determines the path of the water flowing through it,
So do the structures in your life determine your path of least resistance.
Our lives and organizations have their own riverbeds,
Their underlying structures.
Whether you are aware of these structures or not,
They are there.
The structure of the river remains the same whether there is water flowing through it.
Some structures are more useful than others in leading to desired results.
Someone in a structure that leads to pain,
Frustration and hopelessness is not being designated by the universe as a victim of life.
You might put someone else in the same structure and this other person will have similar experiences.
On the other hand,
Put anyone in a structure that leads to fulfillment,
Accomplishment and success,
And that person will have these experiences as well.
People commonly believe that if they change their behavior,
They can change the structures in their lives.
In fact,
The opposite is true.
To attempt a psychological solution to what is really a structural phenomenon does nothing to change the underlying structure.
Even more importantly,
Fritz says that you can change the fundamental underlying structures of your life.
Just as environmental engineers can change the path of a river by changing the structure of the terrain so that the river flows where they want to direct it,
You can change the very basic structure of your life so that you can create the life you want.
If you find yourself in a structure such as a company,
A community that doesn't support you in living the life you want,
You can change that structure and thereby change your path of least resistance so that you can create the life you wish to create.
Five-time founder Angel Investor and founding partner at NFX,
James Courier,
Talks about how the networks of human connections in your life create a force that guides you down a path not always fully of your intention through the mechanism of a hundred of small interactions.
He calls them network forces and says that they compound over time.
The longer your relationships,
Cliques and communities persist,
The more they shape your destiny.
And 90% of those network forces are established in just seven crossroads or pivotal life events.
The first,
What family you're born into.
The second,
Your high school network.
The third,
Your college network.
The fourth,
Your first job.
The fifth,
Marriage or choosing a life partner.
And the sixth,
Where you live.
If these first six have pretty much been decided,
Don't worry.
The seventh and the last,
Reassessments,
Means that at any point of time,
You are always free to reassess the cause that you are on.
Courier says,
The network gravity has been building up since your birth and gets stronger over time.
Each network adding and integrating with others,
Changing the math on your dashboard until it's like near destiny.
But you can decide to ignore that network and forcibly make a change.
This actually gets easier for older people who are done with their shoulds,
When they've raised their kids,
Built their careers,
Earned some money.
That's why you see midlife crises.
The network force has been guiding us for most of our lives and then it stops exerting so much pressure at this point.
And then we may consider our own innate interest and agency.
The most lasting and effective way to change your life is to change who you're surrounded by.
Since networks are so powerful in shaping who we are and what we do,
The best way to change ourselves is to change these networks.
And the smartest use of our energy for those of us looking to make a change can often be to carefully assess the networks that we are a part of and find ways to join new ones that are better suited to the life path we want to be on.
On the flip side,
If your life is going well and you're happy,
Understand how important networks are.
Double down on your relationships,
Cherish the people in your life and be aware of the value of their relationships and the networks that you are a part of.
Our networks are our most valuable resource.
They are the way our lives express themselves through our path of least resistance.
Those networks are made up of all the people you care about,
The people you inspire,
Move and help to live their best lives.
For the rest of today,
Reflect on your path of least resistance and how it has shaped your life.
What underlying structures and networks are in place that have shaped your journey and where you are now?
What structures and networks,
Communities if any,
Would you like to change or become a part of to support you to move towards the life of your dreams?
