"When you feel pressured, it's your chance to grow"

Hello.
This is Aoyagi.

I vacuum my office every morning.

Last Monday, while I was cleaning, I suddenly thought of something.

There is a large cardboard box in the office where we are temporarily storing a small amount of luggage.

I would move the cardboard box every morning and put it back in its original place after vacuuming, but one day it became heavier with more and more contents inside.

Until then, I had been dragging it around without finding it too much of a hassle, but the moment it got heavy, I decided to put it on a platform truck and transport it.



Even though it was the same task of "moving cardboard boxes," when we thought about why the awareness and procedures had changed,

It's not a problem until you feel the strain.

When the symptoms were mild, I didn't think it was difficult and just continued doing things the same way as before.


When the load exceeds a certain level, the system instantly searches for the optimal solution.

As soon as the "additional burden" of weight was created, the first thing that came to mind was a way to reduce the burden (a flatbed truck).



Improvement and growth are triggered by "load"

What I learned from this experience was,

The thought of "I want to improve something" or "I want to make it better" occurs when you feel some kind of pressure.


- Software is not refactored until a bug is found.
- The team's actions will not change until an issue becomes apparent.
・We continue our habits until they become uncomfortable.


In this way, I think that people and systems are difficult to update unless the burdens and issues are made visible.


The habit of using stress as a "signal"

So how do you switch on growth before you feel the strain?

What I started to be conscious of was to be honest with myself when I felt even the slightest bit of pressure.


"That's annoying."
"Isn't this movement meaningless?"
"How can I make this easier?"


Get into the habit of constantly thinking of solutions.


Even if you are doing something without realizing it, if you pay attention you will notice hints such as ``This might be a bit of a hassle'' or ``This might save me a little effort.''


lastly

Just as we used the pallet truck the moment we felt the weight, if we take the strain on ourselves as a "signal," it may become an opportunity to improve and grow more smoothly.


If you feel even the slightest bit of "difficulty," take a moment to stop and think about what measures you can take, and you may be able to make progress.

I thought that if new systems and ideas could emerge from this, it might make my daily life and my life just a little richer.


It's a bit of a stretch to say that cleaning is a hassle. (laughs)