No Perspective, No Control, No Problem

If you’ve read David Allen’s newest book, Making It All Work, then you may be familiar with this diagram. On the horizontal axis is control–from low to high; on the vertical axis is perspective. The idea is that the quadrant represent ways of having control and perspective in differing combinations, all the way to GTD nirvana: captain and commander with complete control and full perspective, sailing along with mind like water and, yes, ready for anything. The other four quadrants are labeled with words like “micromanager,” “crazymaker,” “victim;” in short, other, less desirable ways of being. However there are positive aspects to every quadrant, especially that lower left one. Here’s what I mean.

No perspective, no control happens when you’re totally in the moment and fully present, going with the flow. This could be when you’re on vacation–unplugged, relaxed, and exploring. For example, during my trip to South Korea last year, I had no idea where we were going, when we’d arrive, what we’d do when we got there. Nothing. Our hosts didn’t speak great English, our itinerary was in their heads, made up as we went along (or so it seemed to me). I consciously decided that my mantra was to be “I’m a leaf! A leaf in a stream!” It was far and away the most relaxing, fun trip I’ve ever had. I can’t remember thinking a critical thought or losing my patience, not once, in ten whole days. It was magical.

No perspective, no control can also be a highly useful mode of being when you’re in transition or crisis. By allowing things to be as they are and taking on the role of observer, navigating by curiosity, letting go of your assumption that you know–know anything: what’s best, what’s next, what the right answer is, where you’re going–you can respond (as opposed to react) in the moment. Control, by the way, is an illusion; we’re never in control, not really, we just think we are. We never have true perspective either; the whole story, the full shebang, is unknown, our knowledge is incomplete, always. By letting go of both perspective and control, just showing up and being present and accounted for, you’re ready for action or inaction, whatever the situation calls for, just right. By letting go of control and perspective, allowing yourself to not to know, you might just find a path that you would have missed otherwise.

Yes, there are times when you’d better be in control, with all your ducks in a row and being quite purposeful. Having a long range, high altitude perspective is, in the end, highly strategic. However, each and everyone of us needs to unplug and relax, refresh and recuperate. Everyone can use times to follow their noses and be totally in the moment.

Let it go–be a leaf, floating along, going where the current takes you.