It’s easy to recognise why systems thinking helps at work:
“Daily stand-ups every day at 9 am.”
“Run forecasts every single month for inventory.”
“Maintain < 5 defect density per 1k lines of code.”
…
Project management is a way to systematise and break down processes to simplify and mitigate surprises.
But it becomes noxious when we blindly import systems thinking to our lives:
“Only two meals a day going forward.”
“Commit to 60 minutes of exercises every weekday at 7:00 am.”
“Sleep 6 hours every night.”
…
We can’t project manage our way to happiness, wellbeing, and health.
Unlike the engineered world of manufacturing, services, or technology, which are products of a rigid 24-hour clock and never-enough dollars, repeatable behaviour with linear progress is the desired norm.
Happiness, wellbeing, and health, on the other hand, are a product of evolutionary forces that were shaped by listening to our body and creatively engaging with a volatile environment in a context-sensitive way.
Systematic thinking allows us to consistently produce X number of cars on an assembly line, day in and day out. However, the same outlook towards our bodies cannot consistently sustain optimal dopamine levels by sticking to a strict workout schedule.
The human body is not an assembly line product. While routines are helpful, our biology has evolved to thrive on novelty and adaptation rather than automation.
What we need is a balanced approach between systems thinking and listening to the body. Where the former allows some form of discipline in life, the latter keeps it flexible to the needs of our biology…
When it comes to happiness, wellbeing, and health, the key is to be rigidly flexible.
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Nikhil Kabadi 