An article in the Independent entitled The Path Less Obvious is the driving force behind this article. The author discusses the idea of obliquity and how using it may be the most effective way to achieving one's goals. This idea links neatly with the NLP school of thought – that is, notions of the unconscious mind, visualization and achievement.
What is Obliquity?
Obliquity is the idea that complex goals are often best achieved indirectly. As John Kay puts it in his article, "in general, oblique approaches recognise that complex objectives tend to be imprecisely defined." (Independent, 18 March 2010) The example often used in this case is one of happiness: people often do a whole lot of unpleasant things in the pursuit of happiness – running until exhausted, swimming until one cannot breath, weightlifting until one's muscles ache. In other words, nobody tries to achieve happiness by doing things that make them directly happy at the time.
This idea can be applied in a myriad of fields and social situations. It is in fact said, for instance, that less profit-orientated companies are likely to make more profit than those companies which focus on making as much money as possible. In his book Built to Last, Jim Collins compares the companies Merck and Pfizer, the former less successful, the latter less focused on profit-making. This relates to the NLP idea that one should not focus too closely on their goals or they may miss other opportunities (see Change Your Life With NLP, Lindsey Agness).
NLP and Obliquity
In NLP it is often said that if a person were asked not to think about a blue tree, the first thing that they would think of is a blue tree. This is not a setup to fail but instead an illustration that obliquity is a very real phenomenon - to think of a blue tree when asked not to would mean that a person is reaching a goal by indirect means. This links closely with the concept of visualization.
It also is important to recognize that one often has to take a step backwards in order to move forward because in taking a step back a person becomes less attached with his or her goals, almost loses sight of them, and is then able to see things in clearer perspective without focusing continuously on one thing.
Focus on Life
The more one focuses on the direct achievement of a goal, the less chance there is that the goal will be achieved indirectly and efficiently. How often does one hear the terms, "too close to the problem" or "outsider's opinion"? These are embedded in every day language because they hold in them truths about how human beings think and operate. A person trying to fix a broken dishwasher, for instance, may be so immersed in his or her goal — to fix the dishwasher — and be thinking on such a high level that they miss more obvious fixes which someone who has never seen the problem before may pick up.
It is, therefore much more effective to focus on life and living and to keep one's goals in the background, taking baby steps to achieve them every day.
Readers who found this article interesting, may like to read How to Kick Start Your Achievement and NLP and the Importance of the Subconscious Mind
Sources:
Agness, L., 2008 Change Your Life With NLP. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.
What is Obliquity? SearchCRM.TechTarget.com. Retrieved 18 March, 2010.
Kay, J. "The Path Less Obvious." The Independent, 18 March, 2010.
Isham Jassat - Isham Jassat is relatively new to freelance writing and is looking to make his mark. Currently unemployed and struggling to make ends ...
