Striving for Dynamic Equilibrium

Motivation often drives us to pinpoint aspects of our lives that require change, usually spurred by a significant source of discomfort or a strong longing for something more fulfilling.

This fervor seizes our thoughts, becoming an irresistible force propelling us toward change. We chase this new goal relentlessly, crossing the finish line with exhilaration and exhaustion. But what happens next?

Behavioral economics introduces the concept of threshold effects, marking the moment when we achieve our goal. We've obtained what we desired, but now, according to threshold effects, our motivation dwindles. The intense drive fades, and we find ourselves reverting to our previous state, unable to sustain the value of our accomplishment.

This cycle is familiar—perhaps we've achieved a target weight through a diet, only to lose momentum and return to old habits, seeing the weight return. This pattern repeats because we often neglect the importance of balance in our pursuit of goals. While most goals aim for extremes, the underrated power of balance emerges victorious in the long run.

In Alan Mallory's book, Summits of Self, he emphasizes balance as a foundational secret of existence. It's a force often overlooked but omnipresent. Our attempts at change falter because we fail to respect and acknowledge balance; instead, we try to tip the scales.

Mallory says, “Balance is perhaps the most important and foundational secret of existence. We see balance throughout the universe in many important ways. The Earth itself is essentially a giant buffer system that maintains a delicate balance to allow the existence of life as we know it, and though we usually take for granted phenomena like the Earth-atmosphere energy balance to regulate radiation from the sun and maintain a steady-state global climate, we’re beginning to realize we shouldn’t.”

Drawing from systems thinking, we encounter feedback loops as critical structures in growth or depreciation. The balancing feedback loop, less known but more potent, emerges as the enduring force that ultimately halts other feedback loops.

Respecting balance in our lives is essential. Achieving change requires embracing a slower pace, allowing us to move forward incrementally and establish new balancing feedback loops.

We can make balance the primary goal rather than mere achievement. With each round of improvement, incorporating habit solidifies the progress, providing a stable foundation. We can adjust our processes to focus more on continuation and less on goal achievement. This will help turn that success into sustained action.

For those driven to change and improve, leveraging motivation is crucial, but anchoring it in balance becomes the ultimate objective. This approach ensures sustainable growth, preventing the repeated descent back to square one and enabling continual building and improvement.