Throughout the day many of us have certain routines and structures to facilitate clarity of mind and productivity. However, I learned this week that sometimes less structure can actually lead to a more desired execution and result. Consider the following for example:
The Swiss used to have one of the highest count of road traffic deaths per year. In attempt to cut the count, they put more lights in, added stop signs, increased the number of cops, yet none of these structures helped lower traffic accidents. Until 1997 when “Sweden introduced the Zero Vision policy” that led to road deaths nearly getting halved.
What did they do? They let go. What happened is that everyone was responsible for their own observance and people became better drivers, thus lowering the number of accidents drastically.
In our own day-to-day lives we too can get tied up in the structure, the to-do lists, the laws, that we forget to live in the space the structure is meant to provide - flow and connection. The thinking-brain can play tricks on us making us think we have to do this or it has to be done this way which limits creativity and connection. If we always do things the same ways, we’ll continue to get the same results. Sometimes that extra law isn’t necessary.
Sometimes trying something new invites new ways of doing things. Sometimes less is more.