I’ve always oscillated between spirals and cycles in everything that I do. Getting habits to stick, eating well, staying fit, new business ideas, whatever. In my last post, I said all efforts at changing habits went off the rails once I stepped out of my comfort zone. Indeed, I am/was at the lowest point of this cycle. I’m happy to say that this weekend I’ve crossed that point.
I used to be very self-critical about my tendency to oscillate. Recently I completed the Strengthsfinder Assessment which provided insights into why.
The Strengthsfinder Assessment is a psychometric test that looks into your strengths. It takes 34 attributes (such as Discipline, Strategic, Command, etc) and arranges it in order. Your Top 10 “Strengths” are attributes you should develop. Accordingly, your last few strengths will be your weaknesses.
6 out of my top 10 strengths are Strategic, leaving it very clear where my edge lies. “Discipline” and “Consistency” ranked 34th and 31st! Well, that explains my poor track record in the last 33 years in exactly those two domains.
It also highlighted something about the nature of a cycle that I did not notice. Consistency and Discipline connote steadiness. Whereas, the implication about a cycle is that there are both high points and low points. I berate myself for being “weak” and “lazy” during low points. But what about when I’m operating on the other end? My energy and motivation levels might be off the charts. It has felt that way sometimes. I do believe that’s a strong positive to take away from this.
For me, the other key take away is to recognise myself for who I am. I now realise oscillations between cycles is a inherent feature of who I am. It would be unrealistic to ever expect a high level of consistency or discipline. Better to track the amplitude, period and frequency of oscillations.
By tracking, I would be able to control it. One way to leverage this is to be more aggressive on the upswing. And to be more conservative and prudent on the downswing. It would be a good way to supercharge personal and business growth. And to use the downswing periods to relax and recover.
Swings on either extremes are quite taxing mentally, on me and the people around me. This is worse when they happen at the wrong timing. With control, I can time it right to maximise opportunities and minimise disruptions.
Who thinks psychometric assessments are useless? I love them.
My oscillations are most visible in my weight and general fitness levels. I get fat and unfit in my low points. In the past, I have swung upwards on the oscillation cycle with different methods. Going to the gym, badminton, cycling, and later the full complement of triathlon sports. This time I’d like to try one thing I’ve always wanted to— Muay Thai (Thai boxing).