Choose to Take the Journey

Two foxes are hiding among the brush watching a flock of chickens feeding in the barnyard. The younger fox says to the older one, “Let’s run over there and kill one of those chickens!” The older fox responds, “No. Let’s wait until they go to sleep in the coop tonight and kill all of them.”

There’s a meaningful difference between taking action “now, not later” versus acting on impulse. In the first case, the emphasis is on not waiting for conditions to be perfect before carrying out your plan. In the latter, on a lack of planning altogether. While it’s true that we should not sit idle while the world passes us by, it may be advantageous to think over your possibilities beforehand.

I remember watching a nature documentary on how monkeys navigate the dense verdure of the rainforest. Like humans, monkeys periodically explore unfamiliar territory in search of new food sources and freshwater supplies. On their journey back home, they typically fall into one of three groups, each with a distinct strategy. The first kind will wait until there is an opportunity to follow other monkeys. They are characteristically timid and inexperienced. The second kind, not wanting to waste time, will immediately take to the branches, leading the way for the first group. They are typically young and aggressive. The third kind is very interesting. Usually a little older, they are often observed above the canopy surveying the forest. After contemplating various paths home, they begin their trek. Scientists have found that, on average, these monkeys not only get home the fastest, but also expend the least amount of energy doing so.

If we are to learn something from our furrier friends, let us learn from the third group. If you are building something, measure twice and cut once, rather than measuring once and needing to cut twice. If you are taking on a new venture, great. But first consider working out an angle of attack to increase your chance of success. And the next time you are at an intersection waiting for an opening among the traffic so you can go, be patient and ensure your safety. As my mother often says (maybe a little too often), “better to lose a minute of your life than to lose your life in one minute.”

//Just kidding. Love you mom ;)