The law of inverse effort: when not acting is the best option

«Make an effort! You must give it your all; “Don’t give up, think that you can get what you want if you give your all!”. How many times have we heard these expressions? Without a doubt, infinite. What’s more, not only have they told us, but we read them daily on social networks and we even eat breakfast in cups with similar messages.

To achieve certain goals, you have to invest resources. After all, no one achieves success like someone who finds a courier package at their doorstep. Achievement requires competence, dedication, enthusiasm and even a certain amount of luck. We all know.

Likewise, in recent decades, the social unconscious of the population is highly conditioned by the well-known “law of attraction.” That is to say, it would be enough to really desire a specific objective for destiny to offer it to us. This is another model that, together with the idea that it is enough to make an effort to achieve a purpose, can form the basis of many of our disappointments.

The truth is that achieving a dream depends on many factors and not all of them are under our control. It’s more, In certain cases, doing nothing or taking a step back can be the most suitable strategy… Surprising, but true.

Sometimes taking a step back can lead us to the achievement we wanted.

The law of inverse effort: what does it consist of?

Time is not money, time is work and the more you do, the more profit and success you are supposed to achieve. After all, we are immersed in a society articulated around the idea of ​​competitiveness. We must prove our worth by trying our best, and we do so to the point that, sometimes, the simple act of resting makes us feel guilty.

The culture of effort has turned us, almost without realizing it, into frustrated and unhappy beings.. This is felt by those who have spent many years training without achieving a job position commensurate with their studies. Anyone who, being competent in an area and trying their best, does not achieve recognition knows this.

We spend a good part of our existence trying to earn merits without being able to get anywhere. We are a tired and often disenchanted population. Perhaps, we should also integrate the model bequeathed to us by the British philosopher Alan Watts. The law of inverse effort tells us that, Sometimes, the more we obsess over achieving something, the further we move away from ourselves..

The more you try something, the further away that goal gets.

It is ironic that we have been taught the inestimable value of effort, but not the value of applying, at times, a more serene and calm attitude. Watts wanted to convey to us with the theory of inverse effort that, although it is necessary at certain moments to give the maximum of ourselves, On certain occasions it is better to distance yourself or not act so that something happens.

Slowing down, looking at things in a more thoughtful way and without having to invest great energy can also bring results. The paradoxical art of doing nothing gives shape to that effortless action capable of bringing us closer to a goal. In fact, there are times when we give so much of ourselves for a purpose, that we end up diluting ourselves, losing our essence and even our health.

This is something we see frequently today. An employee can work ten hours a day to get a promotion and, instead of achieving that goal, he ends up with an anxiety disorder or depression. There are times when contributing all our mental and emotional investments towards a goal takes us away from it.

If you don’t move, the butterfly comes to you

Viktor Frankl said that happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase her, the more she runs away. But if you turn your attention to other things, she may come and rest gently on your shoulder. Happiness, according to the famous Austrian psychiatrist, follows this same dynamic. The law of inverse effort also emanates from this lucid and inspiring vision.

In addition, This perspective reminds us a lot of the mentality wu wei that appears in the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. According to this philosophy, it is advisable to learn that force does not always bring us the expected results. Non-action or, even more so, responding effortlessly to life’s events can bring us good results.

An investigation published in the Asian Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, For example, it highlights an aspect. Athletes can achieve peak performance when they leave the mind calm, freeing it of all pressure, to allow the body to act on its own. Sometimes, when we let ourselves go, we give our best.

It is necessary to know when it is better not to act.

The law of inverse effort and resignation are different

On the one hand, we have to Resignation is surrendering helplessly in the face of a situation that is perceived as insurmountable. It is a defeatist and pessimistic attitude where you give up on improving or achieving something because you believe that it is not possible. Generally, this way of facing challenges leads to demotivation and apathy.

For its part, The law of inverse effort does not imply giving up change or achieving what you want., but to work towards its achievement in another way: from tranquility, non-effort and stillness. By applying this law you are not losing hope of getting where you expect, you are just giving up the effort.

In summary, the main difference between the law of invested effort and resignation is that while the latter leads us to abandon our objectives, the other teaches us to achieve them but without the interference of excessive ambition, drive and effort.

When to apply this approach?

The law of the reverse approach, or desist from investing efforts in pursuit of an objective, is not a suitable resource for all circumstances. The ideal is that we develop that more reflective and lucid vision with which to know in which contexts it is necessary to give the most of ourselves, and when it is better not to act or even more so… Take a step back.

On the other hand, we must understand that going back or not pooling resources does not imply surrender or demonstrating incompetence. It is necessary to heal that bias that makes us believe that one’s worth is demonstrated when we give our life and soul for a goal. Our worth also emanates from our own intelligence when it comes to knowing which dimensions are worth the investment of our energy and which are not.

That said, here are some strategies to start applying the reverse effort in your daily life:

Tune in to what happens to you: To tune in is to flow with the natural rhythm of events and things, without resisting their future. Live in harmony with nature.Listen to your intuition and follow it: Listen to your instinct and trust it. Connecting with him will help you release the effort because to listen to him you must stop and open the tranquility where your intuition resonates.Release or let go: When you strive vehemently to achieve your goals, you become unnecessarily attached to them and try to control everything too much. This takes you away from the tranquility, which is necessary to apply the law of inverse effort. Therefore, do not cling to your desires, let go of them and move towards what you want from calm and detachment.Meditate: Meditation is an exercise transversal to the three previous suggestions. It is the perfect representation of effortlessness and the reflection of the virtues involved in applying this law. So, dedicate time in your daily life so that effortless action materializes in your life.

It is important to clarify that these four strategies are not the absolute route to integrate the law of inverse effort in life, rather, they are an ideal proposal of how it could be done more naturally. Therefore, do not cling to them as a truth, instead, try to find your own way to achieve it.

Conclusion

Today’s life has led us to think that only with effort can we achieve all the goals we dream of, however, the law of inverse effort tells us the opposite: Some things are obtained without having to force them.

So that, Sometimes it is better to act effortlessly and surrender to the tranquility and rhythm of events. It’s like floating on the waters and letting the river current take us to the ocean. It is taking action using the force of nature.

Finally, we invite you to apply this law in your life and in your personal development processes. Harmonize with nature, pay attention to your intuition, do not resist and let go of those resistances that do not allow you to move forward with serenity.

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