Embrace the Detour

“I’ve always done it like this”, the dreaded words I’ve heard far too many times when training for a new job. Blindly following what came before, never questioning because it’s easier that way. I’m amazed that people will just do something because they are told, regardless of how illogical it sounds. Sometimes even they themselves question it but refuse to pursue their inquisition. I used to get up at 5:30am for a job that involved manually processing trades. Sometimes when I got to the office there weren’t even any to process but I had to be there just in case. On a typical day it took hours to manually process and review all the work . When I asked why the process was manual, I was told it had always been this way and it won’t change. I was determined for it to change so I taught myself to code. Within a couple of months I had automated the entire process from processing to review and had reduced a manual 4 hours process to an automated 15 min process. Ironically before I could enjoy the extra time in bed, as the process was so efficient it was migrated to another area of the business so we had more time for other manual processes (a theme which seems to have continued throughout my career).

In our new world we find ourselves in, we can no longer go blindly into the night. It is our job to question everything we do. Like Elon Musk questioning every dollar spent when building a spaceship from scratch, we must not accept things just because that is how they are or used to be! SpaceX would not exist if they copied NASA. 

Times of hardship usually bring innovation and creativity. There is a need to do something different. An opportunity to dig into the ashes and find something that has been missing, something that has been needed but we were too lazy to look for or too comfortable to realise we should do something about it.  

I hate change. I love comfort and routine. Yet I will not accept something being illogically wrong. I will go out of my way to change things to ensure they are the best comfort and routine they can be. To this end I am always changing, as is my routine and I am always out of my comfort zone. If you spend enough time out of your comfort zone, it becomes your comfort zone. 2 years ago I hated flying. It kept me up at night. It would ruin the build up to a holiday. It would ruin holidays. I would survive flying with diazepam and champagne, a zone where very little bothers me (except screaming children). Due to work and holidays, last year I flew 15 times. Being forced to do so made me create a new routine for it. Although the early mornings will always suck, you can make things comfortable. Due to Covid, this year I have flown twice. I really miss flying and I cannot wait to get on a plane. If you’d have told me that 2 years ago I would have laughed at you! 

So we are all being impacted right now. No matter who you are. We are all on a detour until things start to head back to something like we remember.  Embrace the detour! I hate being stuck at home but I’m using the time to refine myself. I never thought I’d be writing that’s for sure. I haven’t written since I was a teenager writing for snowboard magazines. Yes when the pubs and football stadiums open again I will be there (I may move in initially), but in the meantime as I have plenty of time to reflect I will continue looking at myself and asking why I’ve always done it this way.