Structured Flexibility

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The other day over coffee, Jigneshbhai told Swami “Decide and automate your investments so that you don’t give yourself a chance to change your mind.”

Swami revolted. “But there are always unforeseen circumstances due to which I want to change my mind,” he said.

Jigneshbhai smiled and said, “Leave some space to foresee the unforeseen, but only some.”

Swami wasn’t convinced entirely.

“Too much structure seems rigid,” he remarked.

“Too much flexibility gets nothing done,” Jigneshbhai retorted.

I couldn’t decide which of my friends I agreed with more. Both of them seemed to have a point.

But it didn’t escape me that for any endeavour where you want to change from a state of A to a state of B, there needs to be an adequate mix of structure and flexibility.

It doesn’t matter what it’s about, I reckoned. A ready proof was provided by Swami himself after a few moments of pondering over it, as usual. 

“Even Sam told me something on the same lines last week,” Swami said. Sam was Swami’s personal gym trainer.

“The number of days you attend the gym in a month should be fixed, he said. I felt this was tough to follow. But then he added some breathing space. He said, when you do it and what you do there is open,” Swami reported with a mixed feeling.

“Sam went on after that. Five days a week follow the recommended diet. Couple of days you can cheat. You decide which are which,” Swami added.

I realised that structured flexibility was essentially a mind trick.

“We cannot trust our mind. It is an imposter,” the wealthy old man had told us once in one of his cryptic talks. I remembered his words. “Your mind can be a friend sometimes, but often it is the enemy within. The problem is it is difficult to say which role it is playing when,” he had added. “Hence you cheat it.”

When we provide structure, we are basically telling the mind to not tell us what to do every time.

It will still interfere but can be told to shut up. Then it can be cajoled with some flexibility, increasing the chances of sustained endeavour. Therefore, it is a mind trick.

But Swami still wasn’t convinced.

“Too much structure without flexibility does not work for me,” he told Jigneshbhai. “I can’t follow such rigid rules. Enough of them at work. Following them even in rest of my life is too much. I need some freedom to operate,” he pleaded persistently.

Jigneshbhai stayed silent and continued munching his muffin. He realised that, sometimes, no amount of cajoling is going to convince Swami. This seemed like one of those times.

His problem was solved by the wealthy old man who walked from the table next to ours towards Swami. He had been listening to our talk as usual.

 “You are right,” the wealthy old man said looking at Swami and took a seat. “Too much structure without flexibility may not work for you,” he said. It brought a smile to Swami’s face.

He sighed a heave of relief. He thought, for once, he was right and Jigneshbhai was wrong. He was happy that the wealthy old man agreed with him.

But it turned out to be a short-lived moment of joy for Swami as the wealthy old man then added, “But with too much flexibility without structure, you may not work.”

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