I’m reading Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods and I came upon the quote below which got me thinking about effort and the nature of work:
“There is no point in hurrying because you are not actually going anywhere. However far or long you plod, you are always in the same place in the woods. It’s where you were yesterday, where you will be tomorrow. The woods is one boundless singularity. Every bend in the path presents a prospect indistinguishable from every other, every glimpse into the trees the same tangled mass. For all you know, your route could describe a very large, pointless circle. In a way, it would hardly matter.”
Bryson’s book is about his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail. It’s a funny and insightful read.
This quote brought into focus the problems I generally see in workplaces: people putting forth an incredible effort, but they don’t quite know why. For them, they just need to get things done without too much thought given to why they are doing it.
Think about being effective and making sure your effort translates into the largest possible impact for every step you take. You may find that how you conduct yourself can influence your respective projects unfold.
There will always be work to do in whatever office environment you may find yourself in. The difference between them is how you decide to approach these new potential experiences. Knowing what you want to do before you step into them will help shape your experiences there. After all, the work will always be there.
