The Opportunity of "Inactivity"

Daniel Okrent, an award winning writer, has the same addiction I do: a love of baseball. He was a significant contributor in the Baseball documentary by Ken Burns. Okrent describes the game in the Burns film as a game of inactivity. He explains that baseball gives the appearance of purposeless action but that this view is to misunderstand the game. This perceived "inactivity" is really highly directed activity that the casual fan or an antagonist to the game understands as a flaw. Okrent argues that the pace of baseball and the moments when it seems the action has stopped is what makes the game so great. He is right! In these perceived gaps of action are the moments of gamesmanship: strategy, signaling, sign stealing, grabbing an extra extra step in the basepaths, leaning one way or the other in defensive positioning, making the batter wait, making the pitcher wait, etc. The development of the dramatic happen in these so called slow moments.

There is a lesson here that applies to achievement of personal goals and hopes for our lives. For anyone that we consider hugely successful I contend that more likely than not the successful devote large amounts of time in quiet "inactivity." Slowing themselves down to understand the setting, circumstances and resources needed for winning. These are activities that to the casual observer are not noticed.

What thought have you given to the next 5 years? How much time is devoted to planning your success? When is the last time you have sat alone day dreaming? How will you measure your progress? These are important questions to answer, the glory-less sort of activity that generates purpose and direction. Significant success does not happen by chance. The hard work is going on while the action has slowed. There lies the advantage.