Most of my life, I’ve used the term “forcing mechanism”.
The situation might be when there was a presentation looming.
The deadline forced me to figure out challenge that had been working in the background.
I’ve been thinking about forcing mechanisms lately.
There are several projects I started without the planning and infrastructure in place.
I’m reminded of both the benefits and challenges a forcing mechanism can bring.
Likely it would have been months before these projects launched.
I would have waited to have all the pieces and parts “perfect”.
In turn, pieces would have to be adjusted along the way because they didn’t quite fit right.
The flipside that I’m experiencing is being sometimes overwhelmed by small tasks.
Creating infrastructure pieces bit by bit.
A new contract here.
A new invoice format there.
Activities to be developed.
Live workshops and conversations to be planned.
All along the way, trying to fill in the blanks and deliver great experiences.
What Have I Learned
I’ve been reminded of the importance of forcing mechanisms in our life.
They can make a period of time seem chaotic and slightly overwhelming.
However, they also push us to get over our fears and procrastination.
I wonder what would happen if we purposefully created forcing mechanisms.
Maybe one per quarter or even one per month.
Activities scheduled.
Commitments made.
Now, buckle down and do the work to meet them.
Your Turn
Do you ever feel like you have or need a forcing mechanism?
What do you see as the pros & cons of having one?
Is there a way to take a project you are procrastinating and add a forcing mechanism?