Turn Frustration into Progress
Use a framework to overcome any challenge
What do you do when frustration takes hold and progress feels impossible?
Chasing the moment, the flow state, the zone. Discovering this timeless and weightless feeling is magical.
The search for the zone and the inherent struggle it entails can also be frustrating.
To become a modern hunter, I advocated for us to act.
But how can we act when the motivational spark isn’t there?
The Weight of Inaction
The doldrums, depression, a sense of aimlessness… these may get the best of us. Maybe it’s an external event or simply a lack of motivation.
Is there a way to escape it?
We face challenges that threaten to derail our progress. Get out of bed, attend a meeting, hike a mountain, sit in a cubicle, make dinner, write, give a presentation…whatever your thing is…it can seem difficult or altogether impossible to undertake.
Structure as Lifeline
I’ll use myself as an example:
Last week, I underwent two minor surgeries in order stack recovery times: one was to straighten a bent finger from a wood-splitting accident, and the other was to remove a nerve build-up1 in my foot from years of running—the result: The slashing of my exercise routine and time outside. Brain fog from the anesthesia took a week to wear off. I hated it.
The result? Frustration.
The solution? Structure.
Action with Intention
Yes, action can help, but blind action can hurt; we need a guiding framework or feedback loop so our action has a purpose. I used something called the PDCA framework multiple times during my surgery recovery to provide structure and force progress in the recovery process itself, as well as work projects.
The result? A sense of reassurance and control.
Plan. Do. Check. Act.
While an ironclad will (aka perseverance) is wholly under our control, our perception of things and actions we take, while mainly up to us, can be heavily impacted by forces outside our control. I may have the will to be an astronaut, but a physiological condition may prevent me from ever going to space. My perseverance remains, but my perspective and actions will change accordingly.
What I like about PDCA is that it helps us make the most of the cards we’re dealt at any given time. PDCA is a framework for maximizing the tools available to us, thus influencing our perceptions and actions (Thanks to Baird Brightman for bringing the PDCA framework to my attention)2.
Like many concepts presented in a business class or leadership course, PDCA is simple to understand but challenging to execute continually and honestly. I strive to utilize PDCA but often fail because each step forces me to realize flaws in my thinking.
PLAN:
Come up with a plan, and don’t coast.
What are the steps needed?
What are your benchmarks for success or failure?
Clarifying these is enough for some people to abandon the structure altogether because it forces you to acknowledge uncomfortable realities, such as not having a plan, unrealistic expectations, ultimatly resulting in self-sabotage.
DO:
Taking action in accordance with a plan is hard; it’s often easier to gloss over the complex parts or take a knee-jerk reaction instead of being patient.
Taking action is also risky; you may fail. That’s why doing nothing seems better than failing (it is not).
CHECK:
Admit what went wrong.
Revisit the Plan. Did you stick with it or change course?
Was something a success or failure? Pride can sabotage this step.
For example, did you make an investment? How much money did you make? If you can’t answer that question and your aim is to make money, then there is a problem.
ACT:
Come up with a new Plan, face difficult decisions, and make changes.
Start the PDCA cycle over again.
Fear and Resistance
There are plenty of reasons to avoid each PDCA step, but the common one is fear: fear of admitting we’re wrong, making a mistake, not thinking about something enough or fear of change.
Small Wins, Big Impact
Start small when trying out the PDCA framework to avoid overwhelm.
Think:
How can I get regular exercise?
Not:
How can I become an Olympian?
For example, let’s say my goal is to exercise five days a week.
PLAN:Determine the type of fitness I want: Cardiovascular health? Weight loss? Both?
Set aside one hour to research free internet resources (plans, calendars, YouTube, etc.).
Create my Plan on a calendar.
Start and try it for two weeks.
DO:Execute the Plan.
Write down what worked and what didn’t.
CHECK:After two weeks, I may realize that:
Wednesday and Sunday are good recovery days.
I didn’t do enough upper-body strength training (I relied on running too much).
I want to try HIIT workouts.
ACT:Add HIIT two days a week.
Make Wednesday and Sunday my weekly rest days in the next Plan.
Start the PDCA cycle over again and continually refine it.
“The fool, with all his other faults, has this also: he is always getting ready to live.”
- Seneca, Letters to Lucilius, 13.16
Break the Cycle
Without a framework, we take the path of least resistance, the shotgun approach of trying something out and generally giving up, subsequently relying on external forces for progress in our lives. Whether it’s exercise, investing, or learning a new language, our Plan may crumble before the start simply because we want to avoid being accountable to ourselves. I know because it happens to me all the time with plans. But I’m okay with that since I know it is my response that matters.
Do I give up and tell myself my process is too fluid for a concrete plan and I’ll figure it out “someday”?
Or do I reassess, adjust the Plan, and try again?
Your Turn: Apply the Framework
I bet you’re thinking of something in your life that the PDCA framework can be used for. I know I think of things that are applicable every day.
What decision-making frameworks do you utilize regularly to make tough decisions and/or ensure you’re progressing on a project?
Check out Baird Brightman’s post, “Success 101,” for a thorough examination of PDCA.
A PDCA lens certainly focuses intention and action. Thanks for sharing.
Feel like the PDCA framework can be a great guide for new projects, short timeline efforts, that might not be a part of my daily routune.