Clint Fuqua

Car nuts, construction workers, gardeners, farmers, painters, chefs, bakers, trainers, and probably even you are going to hate loving this article.  Everyone will hate this article because of the things it is going to make you want to do.  Everyone is going to love this articles while they are doing all of these things.  And that is the point, to love DOING things rather than pushing a button, flipping a switch, or turning a knob and just watching things happen.  

The doing of things has slowed to the speed of a point and click finger tap.  We have become so lazy and entitled to laziness that we actually program calculated “mistakes” into manufactured items so they will look and feel as though they were hand made.  We then complain when a real “mistake” is made in a truly hand made item rather than enjoy the beauty in the labor and craftsmanship that went into making it.  I am not saying that automation hasn’t made the world a better place and made life easier for everyone.  I am saying that it has taken some of the enjoyment out of life and some our health with it along the way.               

I mentioned ‘car nuts’ above because of the “Save The Manuals” campaign going through the automotive world as paddle shifters with push button tuning have taken over and turned driving into an arcade game.  The same has happened in most every facet of life including the gym with all the new apps and online games and equipment that have taken all the work, effort, and yes, even the fun out of it.  

Popping some pills and strapping on some electrodes have taken the place of eating a nutritious diet and moving around. This ease of living better through science has taken a toll or our health and our pocket books as both are drained in the name of convenience.

Making the shift from automatic to manual is not easy and it takes coordination along with attention to detail and confidence in your abilities.  

The great thing is that all of these will grow as you start making the shift and getting in gear as you move forward ever faster enjoying every moment of being engaged in the activities of living.

Making the shift from the ease of automated magic to manual labor is not easy, and at times may not be the best thing for the situation.  The trick is to start small and shift to doing small things manually like making your morning coffee or tea rather than a K-cup, cooking the smaller less complex meals rather than microwaving them, or logging distance outside rather than on a treadmill.

Once you have made some small shifts and start to enjoy the process of doing along with learning how to own your time, then larger shifts can be made. The goal is to enjoy these aspects of living and being active in your life with pride about your accomplishments.  Automation has its place and does make life easier but it can allow us to overload our day and life as all the fun is sucked right out with each click.  Leave automation to the autonomous parts of life so you can simplify your day and enjoy staying in the moment with every activity.

 Think back to the first thing you made that you were extremely proud of due to all the effort and work involved.  We all show off the things we are proud of and had a hand in creating.  Now look at your life, health, body, and realize you have the power to hold that same amount of pride in all of them.  All it takes is making a few shifts and some dedicated work to make the needed and wanted improvements happen.  Not everything is best done manually, but the things enjoyed the most always come from hands on engagement.                   

Action Steps:

1.  Pick your Manual(s). Find that thing or those things that make you want to work and get your hands dirty and in turn make you a better, happier person after it’s all done.  Put your effort, your stress, your love, and your devotion into every second of the labor to be enjoyed when it is all done.  
2.  Make your Shifts. Things in your life will move around and priorities will be shifted to make room for the time required for manual efforts.  This in turn will help you simplify a hectic life and enjoy being in the moment more with your friends and family while becoming more efficient at work.     
3.  Enjoy the Connection.  Holding the final product of your efforts in your hands and seeing it with your eyes is far more gratifying than pushing any button and watching a screen.  The very thing that makes life special is the connection with have with the world and the things we create for the world to enjoy through our own efforts.

Visit me at www.ClintFuqua.com and contact me with any questions, comments, request, recommendation, proposals, fan mail, or hate mail at Clint@ClintFuqua.com.