OCT 9, 2019

Leaning into a problem

I grew up in Central New York. In a small town that received a lot of snow every year.

So when I was 16 and got my learners permit in November… learning how to drive in the snow was emphasized. One of the most important things to learn is how to react if the car fishtails around a corner. This is when you go around a corner, your rear wheels slip, and drift out towards the center of the road.

The answer is counterintuitive. You need to turn the front wheels towards the middle of the road too. Basically, you need to steer into the problem. This is how you stop it and regain control.

I find that this metaphor holds up in other areas of life too.

When I’m running a race and it starts to hurt… I do best when I lean into the pain and try to attack it. Or if I don’t know something at work… it helps to lead with my lack of knowledge. It attracts more assistance and input than pretending to have it under control.

This all makes me think I should get around to reading The Obstacle Is The Way.

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