The P/PC Balance

In our lives, we each have many assets that produce for us.  For example, you might own a washer that cleans for you or a car that takes you places.  Even if you don't have these things, you probably have money in your bank or retirement account that might give you some interest every year (okay... it's not as much as it used to be, but you get my point).  These are all assets.  Your own body is also an invaluable asset.  

If we don't treat these assets well or we constantly just concern ourselves with getting production from these assets, pretty soon these assets aren't going to be producing for us. They will eventually break down.  For example, consistently overloading a washer or not changing the oil in your car will cause these things to break down.  If you treat your body like crap by staying up super late (drinking?) on a weekday night, you'll probably regret it the next day at work...we've all had that experience before.  

The lesson here is simple.  In order to be effective in life, we can't always just focus on what we produce.  But we also have to invest time into taking care of that producing asset (washer, car, you) that produces.  There is a proper balance between what we produce (P) and the ability or asset that produces (PC) and it's in our best interest to find it.  Effectiveness in life lies in the P/PC Balance.  

•    P stands for production
•    PC stands for production capability.

It's probably not hard to see that too much focus on the P will lead us to burn out or even focus too much on our short term desires.  But, on the other hand, too much focus on the PC is not good either. What's the point of working all the time if you don't have time to enjoy the money that you earn?  What's the point of bragging about the healthy lifestyle you're living, if you're spending all your free time exercising?  Or what's the point of spending so much time studying (for a better life) only to realize later that you wasted your best years studying?  The key to life is to find the balance... let's all try to find that for ourselves!

Intro

A few years ago, I started reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, a self-help book written by Stephen Covey.  The book contains many lessons that I found to be very helpful in my everyday life and which I believe has helped me personally (most notably complaining less and focusing on the things that I have the power to control) and also my interactions with others (being a better, more caring listener).  Even though I had a basic understanding of what the book was about, it was not easy to apply all the lessons from the book daily.  I also found that I still have difficulties in certain areas (time management) that prevent me from living a more effective lifestyle.  Recently, I started to re-read this book, because I knew that there were so many ideas that I had glossed over during my first read a few years ago and also because there were principles that I wanted to reinforce in my memory so that they become more second nature.

In the overview of the book, Covey recommends that you should read the book with the goal of teaching or sharing what you learn with someone else in order to have your perspective be expanded and also to have the lessons really sink in.  So that was my inspiration to start this blog.  For this blog, I will share some of the lessons that I learn from this book.  It is also my hope that those of you who stumble upon this blog will also learn something that will help you in your daily life.