the key? constantly build on the basics.
by bill reeb
always keeping the basics top-of-mind can help you work better. this technique is about making sure you are always building on a strong foundation – strong enough for where you are now, but also strong enough to support where you plan to be.
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if your foundation isn’t built for the load you will eventually put to bear on it, then though you might make great progress doing the work in the short term, your gains will all crumble underneath you in the long term.
think of tiger woods. at multiple points in his career thus far, even though he was the world’s number one golfer, he chose to rebuild his swing. why would anyone change a swing that was ranked as being the best in the world? it had to be because he aspired to do more and felt like he had gotten all that he could out of his existing foundation. so he has decided multiple times to rebuild on a new one that would support future pressure and success as he aged and changed.
“foundation” is the most frequently mentioned directive at john’s martial arts school. john and his instructors might say the mantra “feet, center and martial intent” about every 10 minutes in class to remind the students to continually focus on building a strong foundation before they start micro-focusing on other movements. here is a quick explanation of the mantra:
feet: make sure you feel your feet throughout every movement, and in every phase of a movement. for example, with a punch, it should originate from the ground, through your feet, into your legs, through your trunk, into your limbs to your fists. every action starts with energy generated from pushing off the ground rippling through your body until it reaches its intended target.
center: move from your center, take deep stances, maintain a low center of gravity, and stay in balance. don’t initiate movements by leaning forward or backward – start them from your belly. keep your shoulders back and relaxed with your butt rolled under so that your body is in a strong upright position. this culminates in a strong balanced posture with your body positioned to dynamically react and respond in any direction.
martial intent: whether you execute a strike, block, avoid, grab, kick, or any other technique, do it as if you have an opponent. or another way to say this is … with any response you make, always have a target in mind.
back to the basics: this four-word phrase transcends, at least at john’s school, all his martial arts teachings. whether the style is hard or soft, at a distance or body-to-body, offensive or defensive, these words provide the foundation upon which every technique is built. it is a constant reminder that your skills under pressure will likely crumble if you don’t take this long-term foundation-building development approach.
this mantra is easily applied, and helpful, regardless of the task at hand, whether my focus is on my life, my business, a sport i am playing or any other endeavor in which technique is important. for example, as a golfer, i apply this principle every time i address a golf ball. i think about making sure i can feel my feet … the center through the edges. when i swing, i try to turn from my center. i don’t want to just sway back, i want to turn from the center, engaging my big muscles as i coil from a solid, balanced base transferring the energy and unloading on my golf ball.
this mantra is just as important to my partners and me in our business. we believe we need to operate from a strong base, which could be interpreted as
- living by our personal core values,
- operating our firm based on our values and mission,
- building the skill sets that will be instrumental to our success or
- staying true to ourselves to find happiness.
for many of us, having balance in our lives is essential to maintaining our sanity. anytime our lives get too narrowly focused for too long, that lopsidedness starts to take its toll on our mental and physical health … as well as our families.
i am a classic case. i am a workaholic. if it weren’t for michaelle, i would be so addicted to work that i probably wouldn’t take time to bathe. i certainly wouldn’t stay in shape, take the time i do now to play golf, to ski, to spend time relaxing with the family. it is easy for me to get out of balance, out of shape and living an unhealthy, dissatisfying life by chasing the next accomplishment and looking for that next “high” i get from achievement. overachievers commonly fall into this trap.
the problem is, while achievement might drive me, it does not fulfill me or sustain my happiness.
so, like an alcoholic avoiding the next taste of wine, i am sharing with you that balance is critical to my sanity and openly admitting that it is easy for me to lose my way without constant vigilance.
the final element is “having a target or direction in mind.” engage with your life. whatever it is you want to do, stop making excuses, and go for it. figure out what you want to achieve, prioritize those desires and start working smarter about the level of resources you devote to each effort rather than constantly mismanaging those resources and having to work harder to make up for it.
as you think about wherever you are, or whatever step you are taking within your plan, ask yourself to identify the base you are operating from and how can you go about improving it. as you consider maintaining your balance, characterize what that means to you and what signs you need to look for to indicate that you might be starting to shift to an imbalanced situation. as you reflect on your target, ensure that you are actively engaged and doing an appropriate (not excessive) amount of work to achieve the objective of your choice.
i encountered a computer cable company whose base was their market share and reputation for making cables. they became out of balance when too much of their executive focus and strategy was misplaced leveraging a short-term non-core computer memory market. their focus was diffused with multiple strategies, which led them into trouble.
the fact is, i am commonly brought into situations today in which companies have lost sight of the necessary synergy that needs to be maintained with base, center, and intent. the value is in keeping all three top of mind.
from a personal perspective, i have a tendency to get out of balance if i am not constantly vigilant. being a frequent flier with over three million total miles under my belt, i know the flight attendant security briefing all too well. one of the statements they cover is about protocol when the oxygen masks drop from the ceiling. they say “put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others.” why would they say this, especially if you were sitting beside your own child? wouldn’t you want to put an oxygen mask on your child first? the answer is no! you put your mask on first so that you have the clarity of thought to assist your child or those around you. if you put the oxygen mask on your child or someone else needing assistance first, you may quickly pass out and not be available to help anyone. because others, like your child, will need assistance, it is important that you put yourself in a position to provide it. fortunately, my wife is really good about putting her oxygen mask on (making sure her life is in balance) so that she is well-positioned to come in and save me from myself. the school’s martial arts mantra of building on a strong base, maintaining balance and engaging (intent and focus) with what is important is a great daily reminder for me to keep focused on the basics so that i am not only working better but getting better from the foundation up.
take a few minutes and consider the following so that you can work better rather than more:
- what do you consider to be your base?
- how would you define being “in balance” for yourself?
- where is your intent (what are you trying to achieve and do you have a clear target in mind)?
- what can you do to improve your overall foundation, syncing base, balance, and intent?