alignment rant

Symptoms + importance

Misalignment can manifest in various forms and degrees of severity. A common example is burnout, often accompanied by existential dread about your life. Another example is having a temper as fragile as silence. I could go on and on about how misalignment shows up in your life, but highlighting your distress has no intrinsic value.

Alignment is like a muscle; it requires a framework you can follow when things get murky or when you feel like going on autopilot. I hope to plant a seed of awareness so that you can begin your journey toward alignment.

Causes

Alignment, as simply defined, is the "arrangement in appropriate relative positions" (thanks, Oxford Dictionary). But what does that really mean? It's a state of being where every process in your system operates as efficiently as possible. There is no friction, no true "loss of energy"— f Newton’s law (jk)

Alignment starts with intention, moves on to execution, and finally ends with completion or discovery (see image below).

How to address it?

  1. Intention - Your desire is the foundation of everything. Without a burning passion, everything crumbles. A common sentiment is, "I don't know what I want to do." But I promise you, everyone does—you just haven't put it into words yet. For example, if I ask you what you want to eat and you say "I don't know," and I offer you fried crickets, are you going to eat them? (For the sake of the example, the answer is no.) Flip the negatives and abstract higher-level desires. Trust that gut feeling we’re trained to ignore. It's a vital tool.

  2. Execution - We have to take action, which is why intention is so important. This step can range from something as simple as brushing your teeth to years spent researching a cure for cancer. Execution is where much energy is lost, and burnout occurs. It’s not just about your effort but also your environment. Messy coworkers, compromised living situations—these all affect your execution. Create a list of essential tasks to stay on track. This will be your lifeline in tough times.

  3. Completion/Discovery - The final step is critical. Many quitters stop just before the finish line. How you complete your goals and objectives is as important as how you dreamt them up. If you pour your life energy into a project only for it to fail, you'll feel empty. And if you do complete your task—what's next? Always keep an eye out for the next step, and then you'll be back at step one.

Stay aligned

Mind, body, spirit—these are common metaphors people use to express the pillars of alignment. Our time on this planet is fleeting, so don't waste it by over-allocating to one area. Find or do things that help you decompress.

Overall, alignment is a vital philosophical principle to consider in life. It plagues many of my friends, peers, and family. Life is beautiful, and you don't want to let the system control you. Instead, tell the system what to do.

Symptoms of Misalignment Cont.

  • Poor performing coworkers
  • Disassociation
  • Lack of passion
  • Infidelity

svntii