How to fight a hydra - Josh Kaufman
Note: a version of this post was first shared as a newsletter on August 21, 2022. For more ideas like this, subscribe to get the newsletter delivered to your email on Sundays!
VUCA
It sounds like it could be the name of an exotic vacation destination, doesn't it? I've run into this term in the past but never really paid attention until a few weeks ago when it showed up in an email and, again, in a book I read. In case you don't know, it's simply a managerial acronym for Volatile - Uncertain - Complex - Ambiguous. Doesn't that sound like life these days? The book I read was "How to Fight a Hydra" by Josh Kaufman. It's a short read, and I didn't really know what to expect until I opened it (I'd picked it up based on a recommendation). The book was based on the journal of a young man who decided to answer a sense of deep calling to conquer a hydra and all the life lessons that come from it.
How do you answer the call to something inside you but bigger than you when you don't even know what it is? How do you keep moving when the vision isn't clear, and the reward isn't sure? The protagonist wasn't sure hydras existed, but he embarked on a journey against the advice of well-meaning friends and families. If hydras did exist, and he managed to get away with his life in one piece, there was no guarantee that any treasure existed beyond killing an animal that grows two heads back when you cut off one. It's inevitable that we'll all encounter situations that seem to have no heads or tails at some point, so how do you keep walking when you're uncertain and things could blow up in your face at any minute? I drew some responses to this question and shared them in the personal takeaways below:
Personal takeaways:
Wisdom: The beginning was my favorite part of the book. The protagonist started out on his journey by researching and continued by thinking through risk mitigation: he prepared as much as possible using the information available and tried as much as possible to avoid unnecessary risks. This is wisdom: asking for help when you need it, researching information where it can be found so you don't keep asking questions that others have answered, and adopting a continuous learning mindset for those questions that don't yet have answers.
Courage: It takes a lot of guts to walk into uncharted territory without knowing what lies ahead. So you'd need loads of guts - especially when there's no guarantee of a reward. You'd need courage to keep moving when the vision isn't clear and the reward isn't sure. The good thing is that you can develop courage. Start with small risks & wins, and work your way up.
Focus, persistence, and hope: I bunched these three together because getting caught up in the what-ifs and the million different ways things could go wrong can be easy. But if you focus on what's in front of you, persist by taking one step at a time, and allow hope to guide you when you're tired, you'll eventually get there ("there" is: wherever your inner light is guiding you towards).
Practice: You have resources: make them better and leverage them well. Use what you have to navigate what's in front of you and sharpen your sword while you're passing through the valley of the shadow of ambiguity. Get better at what you do best, you will need it for your journey.
Adaptability: Things change, people change, environments change - the world keeps moving. And if you're going to keep up, you have to learn how to be comfortable with discomfort and with being stretched outside your comfort zone. Learn from your environment and your experiences and find creative ways to keep yourself moving in pursuit of your goals.
Self-care: Can I write anything without talking about self-care? It's a given at this point. When navigating complex situations, don't forget to take a break if you need it so you're in good shape to carry on and celebrate your victory when it arrives. At some point, the protagonist had to rest and pause the battle, so he could live to fight another day. I love this advice so much!
If you never read the book in your lifetime, here are some of the quotes I highlighted (almost the whole book because it was so good!) while I read it. My favorite-favorite-favorite is the last one.
Favorite quotes:
I am afraid. That is not a reason to avoid the beast. Courage means being afraid and acting anyway. I leave at dawn.
I must consider my first foray into the cave a success. I didn't fight, but I took a small step closer to the objective. That is progress, and I need every victory I can claim now.
Invest your gold in well-forged weapons. Keep your sword sharp, your torches ready, and your armor well-maintained. Take care of your tools, learn how to use them, and they’ll serve you well.
Patience. I must keep my goal in mind, but act with prudence. Better to wait until the wounds heal over before I strike out again. If I act before I’m ready, I risk permanent harm.
Fear doesn't mean you're weak; it means you're sane.
Your mind can invent horrors beyond those that actually exist. Rumination is not your friend. Action allows you to see the situation for what it really is.
Confidence is a potent ally, as long as it's tempered with wisdom and restraint. You're not invincible or infallible, so don't pretend to be. On the other hand, you are no longer a novice. You've earned the right to trust your own judgment and capabilities, even when others disagree. There's a middle path between humility and hubris: work to find it.
Final notes:
I'll say - even if you eventually fall flat on your face and there isn't a treasure waiting for you on the other side, there's always a reward for picking up yourself each day to wade through the murky waters of VUCA. The reward is who you become because you have decided to take on the challenge. Beyond riches, your reward is the wisdom you acquire and the strength you build as a result of the decision you make to bravely take on what others have deemed too complex to carry.
So if you're feeling a sense of deep calling to conquer a hydra, go ahead and answer it. You might just find yourself with treasures - the greatest of all being the treasure of the man or woman your quest forms you into.
Thanks for reading!
Ps: This isn't business advice; this is more about a general approach to life. However, for the business-minded, see the HBR graphic below. Of course, this isn't all there is; please share what else you know about this in a business context (or if you end up researching more) with me!
