Insanity, Defined

Someone once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Under that definition, it's both remarkable and somewhat distressing how many people - and organizations - are truly insane.

Organizations have attics full of moldy 'stuff' - cultures, beliefs, processes, procedures, structures, brands, whatever - that collectively produce a certain level of result. Not surprisingly, most organizations want the future to be better than what their 'stuff' produced in the past. What is surprising is the wholesale unwillingness to link better performance with the need to replace old, moldy "stuff' with fresh, new 'stuff.'

People, triathletes, well, me especially, suffer from the same limiting unwillingness to challenge 'stuff.' My attic is full of strongly-held beliefs about how I should eat, train, prepare, race, think, what gear I should use and lots of things I haven't even confronted yet. I do things because they seem to make sense. Or they're comfortable and familiar and don't hurt too much. Or, maybe, I just don't know any better. I've done OK so far..better than I deserved, frankly.

But I'm not satisfied, and age, like the marketplace, is an implacable enemy. To stay even I need to get better, smarter, faster. I need to generate more power, use energy more efficiently, fuel more intelligently, train differently, race harder. And I've got to rid the 'ol mental attic of all the 'stuff' that holds me back.

So, herewith, I'm checking outta the asylum and trading old 'stuff' for new.

iPod shuffle: "Sensitive Kind" by J.J. Cale, from "J.J. Cale Live." The master of the laid-back Texas groove. And, "Bordertown" by Chris Whitley, from "Living With the Law." Great song.