 The clutter in my house is ganging up on me again. So of course, I am at my computer. I need to put the laundry away and clean the house. And we might want to eat later on, so I should think about that too. But not right now. Right now I'm going to explain why I think it's so hard to tackle all of this stuff, because it's easier than tackling all of this stuff. STAY
WITH ME HERE because I think I may have hit on something. This is the
best way I can explain it: Draw three dots, but not in a row. Now draw
as many lines as you can between the three dots. OK,
so you've drawn three lines, unless you've cheated. NOW, draw a fourth
dot and you will notice that now, even though you've only added one
dot, you can draw a total of six lines. If you think of each line as a
relationship, this example is a good illustration of synergy: the
interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined
effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. In
the scenario with 3 dots, you have 3 relationships. With 4 dots, you
have 6 relationships. This, I believe, is a simple way to explain the
concept of "overwhelm" to people who just don't get it. Don't
get me wrong, I like synergy as much as the next guy does. But there
can be positive or negative synergy, depending on the situation. In
business or creative situations, synergy can be positive. You may have
noticed how many businesses have 4 or more partners. If 4 is the
'magic' number, it makes sense. Synergy would kick in and optimize what
each individual brings to that business. Now,
back to the subject of 'overwhelm.' People who tend to think in
'straight lines' aren't worried about what comes next, because the dots
can only be connected in one way when you have a straight line. If
something unexpected comes up, they can usually fit it into their
schedule, perhaps by eliminating or rescheduling something else, and
proceed with their day. People who don't have their 'dots in a row' see
all kinds of relationships and possibilities. It can be an advantage -
this is how things are invented! But while it's great if you're trying
to invent something, it does not really help you do laundry. With
so many relationships, on a list of six chores, we see much more than
those six chores. I don't know how much more we see, but it's more than
I have fingers. Just trying to figure out THE ORDER in which to do
those things can drive a person to play video games! And you don't even
want to get me started on the matter of changing plans and "picking up
where you left off." There is no such thing! If plans are changed once
the day is in motion, the momentum is completely lost. "Picking up
where you left off" is like starting over from the beginning, except
that now there is less time! |
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AD/HD Articles >
Synergy Spinnergy: The Science of Overwhelm |