Every year, I embrace a tradition of smoking a ‘Christmas Brisket.’ This ritual, which began several years ago, had its fair share of, let’s say, ‘less than stellar’ outcomes initially. In the third year of my overnight smoke sessions with my trusty Weber Bullet, a student of mine offered a game-changing piece of advice. ‘Just leave it alone,’ he said. This was a revelation in the intricate art of brisket smoking. Set everything up correctly, and then step back. No fiddling, no fancy techniques. No special rubs, secret sauces, wrapping, or spritzing – just plain old salt and pepper and a 12-hour wait. That was when I finally produced a brisket that lived up to the name. But here’s the kicker: this ‘leave it alone’ philosophy isn’t just about brisket; it’s a principle that also applies to our professional and personal lives.
Have you ever found yourself over-managing in business, convinced that constant tweaking was the path to success? If you’re nodding, you’re not alone. We often equate leadership with action – the more we do, the more impactful we think we are. In this flurry of activity, from experimenting to adjusting, we believe we’re driving improvement. Yet, in reality, we might just be sowing confusion – for our teams and ourselves. I learned this the hard way. My first business didn’t struggle due to a lack of good service or because of our team; it struggled because of me. I was the overzealous tinkerer, constantly adjusting and innovating, which, while creative, led to a lack of consistency and profitability. Here’s a hard pill to swallow, especially for the overachievers: sometimes, the best action in business is inaction. That’s right – doing nothing can be the wisest move.
In my personal life, too, the ‘leave it alone’ mantra has taught me valuable lessons. There’ve been times when everything seemed perfectly aligned – life was stable, and we were making steady progress. Imagine if that continued unhindered for 20 years! But, alas, I’ve rarely been able to resist shaking things up. Driven by a desire for new experiences and challenges, I’ve sometimes steered our steady ship into stormy waters. While these turbulent times have led to fun adventures and fond memories, I can’t help but wonder: would a bit more patience and less interference have been better in the long run? It’s about finding the right balance between enjoying the stability of well-established routines and the excitement of new ventures. So, if you’re ever in doubt, pondering whether to introduce another change into your well-settled life, remember this: sometimes, the wisest choice is to just leave it alone.
Back in high school, I was introduced to Taoism, but I stubbornly resisted anything outside my narrow worldview. It took years and a few hard-earned life lessons before I revisited these teachings with an open mind. Reflecting on the words of Lao Tzu, the father of Taoism, who said, ‘Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished,’ I realized the profoundness of patience – a virtue I’ve always struggled with. Thinking about it, I’ve never really excelled at anything that demanded immediate results. Mastery requires time and patience, whether in a craft, business, or personal growth. It’s about the slow, methodical journey toward precision – you can’t rush it. Ironically, through my Christmas Brisket adventure, I truly grasped this Taoist principle. Learning to let things progress at their own natural pace was a lesson not just in cooking but in life itself. How often do we overlook the power of patience in our relentless pursuit of immediate results?
As I prepare for this year’s Christmas, readying myself for the midnight brisket cook, I’m reminded of how much simpler my process has become. Gone are the days of an arsenal of gadgets, thermostats, and an array of rubs. Now, it’s just me, my charcoal smoker, salt, pepper, and a couple of blocks of smoke wood. It turns out simplicity often holds the key to success. As we stand on the brink of 2024, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect. Think about the aspects of your life that are finally falling into place, the things that are starting to work well. Maybe, in those areas, the best approach is the one I’ve learned through years of smoking brisket: just leave it alone. What could this simple yet powerful philosophy change for you in the year ahead?
