The concept of on versus in is important. Difficult to grasp at first, but once you start to change your thinking it becomes rather obvious. I went a long time without really understanding this concept. I was introduced to the idea by Michael Gerber’s E-Myth book. However, I did not really understand. I went right along confusing the concepts.
I have finally started to make meaning out of this in such a way as to change my behavior. The notion that there are times when I need to work on something, and other times I need to work in it. They are both equally important, but must be compartmentalized enough so that you focus appropriately.
When you work on something, you are improving it. You are working on the system, the process. When you work in something, you are actually performing the process and achieving the real work. The two without out each other are failures. In and on together are harmony. The blend of planning and work needed to be successful at anything.
I have been focused on my backyard gardening, a sort of way to provide me inspiration that I was missing. This last week I tried to improve the health of my plants. The watering of these plants is obviously pivotal to their health. I need to spend time actually watering plants and fixing how they are being watered. That is work. That is working in the process. However, I also needed to spend some time working on this problem. I created a system of measuring water output from my drip system and once I had that, then I knew exactly what watering components to use and when.
Of course I could spend a month planning a watering system and not actually get anything done. That would cause death to my plants. If I try to water without a system, I will inevitably fail and the plants will be overwatered or under watered. I must work on the process and in the process in a balanced way to have ultimate success.
