You know the phrase: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and hoping for a different result.” I agree with this quote, but I would like to extend it:
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and hoping for a different result OR stopping doing what worked and hoping for the same result.”
I see this happening all the time. We recognize something is working during our sprint retrospectives. We list things like waking up early helps, going for a morning walk helps, going to the office helps. But then, because it’s not new anymore, not shiny, not as exciting—we stop. And then we wonder: Why are things not the same anymore?
I think this comes from our desire for newness. We always want to consume new information, read new books, try new strategies. But the reality is, we already have a solid toolbox of things that work. If you’ve made it this far in life, you’ve finished school, landed a job, maybe got a promotion. You have proof that certain tools and techniques work for you.
If you look at it from an investment perspective, the safest thing to do is stick with what has already worked. You have proof it worked in your life, with your personality. Yes, maybe you have changed, but even then, it still has the highest risk-adjusted return on investment.
Some of you are working on building consistency in your schedules. It’s Week 2 of your sprint. Things are probably getting a bit boring, mundane, not as exciting. And this is exactly when you want to stop. But stopping what works is just as insane as repeating something ineffective and expecting a different result.
The fact that you’ve decided to do these things means you already have proof from your sprint retrospectives, from self-reflection, that they are helpful. These things are the first dominoes that help knock everything else down.
So remember: I call it insanity when we stop doing the things that we have already proven work for us.
P.S. This lesson was inspired by my morning walks. I’ve been walking for a few months now. Occasionally, I think, Maybe I should change the time. Maybe I should work in the morning instead. Maybe I should start running. But every sprint retrospective, I see the same thing: This is the best thing I did during the sprint. So no—we’re sticking to what is working.
This is one of the lessons published inside The Focus Room, along with the audio version.
Because we are going through the sprint on the same timeline, facing the same mental obstacles and distractions, I can create lessons that are timely and highly relevant at each stage. As a result, they are much more helpful and directly applicable to your goals.
