Growth strategies are really interesting. Everyone has to say something on how growth can be achieved. While some methods are just tough, others appear easy but ain't different anymore. Truth be told, there's nothing that can be achieved without putting in ample of work. While sometimes you notice a few entities getting quick success but it is the result of sheer luck. Someone else had to put in the efforts before they took over the reins just at the right moment to get the credit.
While there are a lot of growth strategies, mainly I can compile them into 3 kinds of strategies. Refer the image below, figure 1 shows the ideal way, figure 2 shows the recommended way and figure 3 shows the seriously not recommended way. While theoretically its really interesting and easy to define your plans in a way which can fit into one of these stencils. In reality, all we do is keep switching between the approaches and the result matches the average of the time spent in each of these strategy modes.
In the Ideal method, one should balance out the long term and short them goals for their growth. But it's easier said than done. Though we could attempt to ensure that the average time spent making efforts result in this method so you can see a good result. How this shows up in real life is really fascinating. Most of use directly or indirectly optimise for this approach. Your Average Joe comes here and lives his life with peace and prosperity.
The moment you start asking for more, you start indirectly optimising for two other strategies, based on when you want it. If you want it right now then you end up making decisions that look like the strategy from figure 3. It's ideally not recommended as it is a risky path which says let me enjoy now and I'll pay for it later. While short term goals give you quick gratifications, in the longer duration it make your life hell overall.
While we can crib about the side effects of this approach for endless amount of time. The real question is that what makes this kind of approach so attractive, that most ambitious achievers end up choosing this path? This strategy really comes close to the survival mechanisms where if you can't survive right now, what's the point in worrying about the future? The YOLO attitude stems strongly from here. Quicker gratification mechanism, supportive evolutionary psychology and the achievements that quickly show up are the primary reasons for this method gaining popularity.
If you believe in following this kind of a strategy ensure that you are able to pay the debt later on ahead. For the most, in today's day and age it has become someone else's problem. For ex. Parent's taking debts they can't pay become the kid's burden. Old Corporate Owners taking debts where they end up selling the company become the new owner's headache. People who are staunch followers of this strategy often behave like parasites.
But life ain't black and white right? It's all gray, some just darker than others. When we look at the Figure 2, this strategy encourages one to let go of the short term benefits for the long term gain. These are the kinds who invest more for the future and spend less now so that they can save for a rainy day. The biggest issue that arises here is when that future no longer exists or not in the way they had imagined.
None of these methods are ideal but whichever path you choose surely tells you what's coming for you ahead. It might visit you sooner or later, but it's bound to get to you for sure. Just ensure you are ready for what's coming ahead. At the end of the day you might be following the ideal way in some things whereas you might be following negative growth strategy for some. For ex. you might be following strategy 1 in romance, 2 in money and 3 in general social relationships. Its quite fascinating to see it happen around you and that makes us who we are. We keep changing it in the due course of our lives, writing our own stories in this world.
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