Dear readers,
Last time I covered 3 principles for adapting to change:
Short term: Being locally attuned and responsive
Medium term: Adapting to changing conditions
Long term: Evolve to survive
Today I want to share with you a set of principles used by all living organisms to develop and grow in nature, as identified by the Biomimicry Institute (after studying thousands of plants and animals).
Connecting these principles to my own life and contexts was of immense value for me, especially since my motto is that “Life is Learning”.
My hope is that they will inspire you as well, as you navigate through the uncertainties of life 🧭💡
1️⃣ Integrate Development with Growth
Invest optimally in strategies that promote both development and growth.
This one is about developing yourself in order to be able to grow your impact. Grow your impact in order to unlock new development pathways. Growth and development are interconnected. Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? 💡
2️⃣ Self-organize
Create conditions to allow components to interact in concert to move toward an enriched system.
Connecting this self-organization principle to you, it could translate into exploring ways of how different aspects in your life can interact, so that they lead to an enriched life.
This principle runs against many of the separation principles that we’re usually immersed in, in our daily lives. Like for example separating work from hobbies.
3️⃣ Build from the Bottom Up
Assemble components one unit at a time.
This principle speaks a lot about Nature’s patience & focus. As you can imagine, this principle runs against contemporary principles like “move fast and break things” or “multitasking”.
Connecting this principle to you, here’s a question that comes to mind:
What’s that one thing that you’re intentionally building now?
4️⃣ Combine Modular and Nested Components
Fit multiple units within each other progressively from simple to complex.
This one is about creatively combining simple things in your life: ideas, initiatives, strengths, skills, insights and so on. Who knows what might emerge?
5️⃣ Be Resource Efficient (Material and Energy)
Skillfully and conservatively take advantage of resources and opportunities.
This principle is core to everything that happens in Nature. You might connect this one to the ideas of surplus, overconsumption or overproduction. It’s actually connected to one of my core principles of not accumulating material surplus - which I will detail in a future essay.
Could you become more resource efficient, as a person?
Are you accumulating any surplus? Why do you think that happens?
6️⃣ Use Low Energy Processes
Minimize energy consumption by reducing requisite temperatures, pressures, and/or time for reactions.
This principle is connected to your personal habits. Might it make sense to review your key habits through the energy lens?
7️⃣ Use Multi-Functional Design
Meet multiple needs with one elegant solution.
I love this one because it invites so much creativity and intentionality in one’s life. Are there things in your life that address multiple needs at once?
Of course, in order to consciously design or get such things, you need to turn off the auto-pilot once in a while and become better connected with what you actually need at this point in your life, given your specific contexts and possible next steps.
8️⃣ Fit Form to Function
Select for shape or pattern based on need.
This principle is about fitness (how much two things fit with one another) or structural couplings between needs and solutions designed for those needs.
Let’s imagine for example that you design a morning habit for your need of starting the day with lots of energy.
At the same time, the principle is about selection, which usually comes after experimenting (or at least contemplating) options.
Are there things in your life that aren’t fit for purpose?
9️⃣ Build Selectively with a Small Subset of Elements
Assemble relatively few elements in elegant ways.
This one is about how Nature is keeping things simple, reminding me of the idea that “everything should be as simple as it can be, but not simpler”.
The beauty and true inspiration is that all these principles are applied at the same time in Nature, as a whole.
This also gives rise to some really nice combinations of principles: consider for example how principles 2️⃣ (self-organization) + 3️⃣ (one unit at a time) + 4️⃣ (combining simple to form complex) + 5️⃣ (resource efficiency) + 7️⃣ (multi-functional design) + 8️⃣ (form to function fitness) + 9️⃣ (combination of few elements in elegant ways) would play together, like when developing & growing your own career.
If you’re curious about any of the principles that I shared and if you want me to dive deeper on specifics, approaches or examples in a future essay, you can just reply to this e-mail and let me know.
Thanks for exploring together
I’m Bülent Duagi, a Strategy & Organization professional with a mission to help people address the complex challenges they (will) face.
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