Balancing Organic vs. Formulaic

This is a guest post written
by Rick Anderson from The Goal Geek blog.

Some people are predisposed to accomplishing things “organically”; that is, their orientation toward life and accomplishment is one that allows maximum freedom to “see what happens”. Others are more formulaic–they define objectives and milestones and start taking deliberate actions toward their objectives with varying degrees of conscious effort. Sometimes the two types of people collide, with the organic folks abhorring the discipline and predictability of well-formulated plans and actions while the formulaic among us struggle to value what they imagine to be an aimless life, void of the satisfaction of accomplishment.

The question is not, “Who is right?” All of us inevitably fall somewhere along the continuum of organic versus formulaic approaches. A better question is, “Where do I fall on the continuum and what is it costing me?” Clearly there are costs on both sides. If you lean toward the organic most often, you risk failing to find yourself “happening” into acceptable (much less, fulfilling) situations. On the other hand, if you rigorously define and map your life too far in advance and never look up as you’re “working the plan”, you may well miss the greatest opportunities for fulfillment and accomplishment that life and circumstances make available to you. Regret is a very real possibility with both approaches.

The obvious solution is to try and strike the best balance possible for you. While this solution may seem obvious and trite, closer examination reveals that balance is a complex and costly objective itself. Balance requires sacrifice on both sides of the continuum. Balance, although widely recommended for many facets of life and achievement, is seldom practiced. Further, the principle of balance itself is easy for both sides of the organic-versus-formulaic dichotomy to criticize. To the organically disposed, a move toward balance is a move toward selling out–sacrificing valuable time and energy for the purpose of inviting and adopting limitations in life. For the formulaic, a move toward balance is a conscious decision to “fall behind” or “lose focus”, in addition to forfeiting valuable energy.

To overcome our natural tendencies and move in the direction of balance, we must first determine which side of the continuum we fall on. For many, the answer may be obvious. Perhaps you’re the person who is forever focused on your objectives and have a very difficult time adjusting to interruptions and unanticipated setbacks (formulaic). Or, maybe you’re the person that’s forever dreaming or having to pull others into spontaneous activities (organic). If it’s not obvious which side of the continuum you fall on, ask yourself which approach would be more painful for you to more fully implement in your life. Does the thought of “buckling down” repel you? If so, you’re more likely to be organic in your approach to achievement. Does personal reflection and holistic evaluation sound too amorphous to be truly helpful? Then you’re probably formulaic in your tendencies.

Once you know which way you lean in your approach to life, (organic versus formulaic), you can begin to take the proverbial baby steps to move you in the direction of a better balance. Here is the best part: You can use your strongest tendency to help you get there! If you tend to be organic and you know you could use more structure and intention in your life, choose a suitably comfortable approach to defining the areas in which you might improve..and then capture them in writing as a first step. This might be as simple as carrying a small notebook and recording the ideas that occur to you as they are occurring. If you tend toward a formulaic approach, schedule time to look at the broader picture of your life, including things like relationships, and then list the areas you’ve neglected and the actions you can take to remedy the situation. The idea here is for organically-inclined people to find non-burdensome ways to actually pin some things down (by doing some spontaneous “planning”), and for formulaic people to stop and consider the areas of life and fulfillment that may have been left behind (by planning to be “spontaneous”).

Whichever your predominant inclination, organic or formulaic, fulfillment and achievement are more likely to be realized with a more balanced approach to life. Defining goals, or, if you prefer, “desired results”, is a valuable exercise for everyone to complete regularly. Find a way to reflect on where you are today, as well as where you want to go, for every facet of your life. Then begin the journey with the help of your natural strengths!