A couple of years ago, I learned a strategy: inversion. It has helped me discover simpler solutions to tricky issues and avoid unnecessary work.
To invert is to turn a question upside down. Instead of attacking a problem with brute force, we work backward: what if we do the opposite? What if we avoid the obstacle altogether?
Some examples:
• You spend a lot of time on some report that no one cares about. Instead of doing it every month, is it possible to kill the busywork?
• A client is hard to work with and adds little value. Instead of stressing about their unreasonable demands, can we let the client go?
• A coupon is expiring, but I can’t think of anything I need. Instead of looking for something to buy, what if I throw the coupon away and move on?
As Lunar New Year approaches this weekend, it dawns on me: I have lived almost half of my life in America.
In the early days, I lived as if I had never left home: spoke Cantonese all day, read Chinese books, and hung out with Chinese friends. When I started working, I hid my Chinese-ness in all possible ways because the identity seemed like a disadvantage.
Neither felt right.
I have since discovered a third option: embrace where I come from and where I am. This middle way frees me to be creative. Mix filial piety with open communication. Combine humility and fearlessness. Put my head down and speak up when it counts.
Why choose between A or B when A and B is possible?
One interesting contrast between English and Cantonese speakers is the way they describe what they do.
English speakers tend to assert an identity: I’m a teacher. He’s a photographer. She is a great basketball player. Cantonese speakers prefer to state the verb: I teach (我教書). He likes to take photos (佢鍾意影相). She plays basketball really well (佢打籃球好勁).
The English way of thinking is powerful. An identity shapes your beliefs. If you believe you are a marathon runner, going on a long run is natural. The behavior is expected.
There is, however, one limitation: you can establish an empty identity and fail to follow through with any action. Painters that don’t paint. Artists that don’t create. Entrepreneurs that don’t start businesses.
The best strategy is to combine the two: state the identity and act.
One time Confucius (孔子) was with his students. A student named Zi Lu (子路) asked if it was a good idea to immediately put a teaching into practice. Confucius urged him to wait and be patient.
Later Zan You (冉有), another student, went to Confucius with the same question. Confucius said, “You should practice it immediately.”
An observant third student noticed the contradiction. He asked Confucius to clarify. Confucius replied, “Zi Lu is impulsive, so I slowed him down. Zan You is cautious and tends to give up, so I pushed him.”
Every one is unique. Every situation is different. There’s no one-size-fits-all.
If a project feels difficult, break it down into smaller components. Start with the easiest one. Gain momentum. Focus on one thing at a time. For example:
Planning a trip? Decide on dates and budget, research travel options, book flights, reserve accommodations, and map out a rough itinerary
Decluttering a closet? Pull out everything, sort each item into a keep or donate pile, bag the donate pile, research a place that accepts donation, drop off.
Writing a document? Jot down ideas, do research, summarize research, draft*, revise, edit, send.
As Henry Ford said, “nothing is particularly hard if you break it down into small jobs.”
*My wife, who wrote a lot in her younger days as an eng. lit. major in college, advised me to separate ideation, drafting and editing more than five years ago. I never listened. I kept trying to perfect each sentence as I wrote. My output was dismal. Somehow I couldn’t figure out why.
In recent months I have come around and agree that she is right after all. Sometimes ideas just take time to sink in, right?
What new things are necessary? What is missing in the plan? What other goals should be on the list?
But equally, if not more, important is what to subtract.
What goals must I remove? What stuff has cluttered the space? What bad habits must I shed? What unhelpful assumptions must I leave behind? What resentment must I let go?
When we remove the baggage that no longer serves us, we make room for what’s important.
One curious thing about Southwest Airlines is what it doesn’t do.
It doesn’t offer business class. It doesn’t offer food (unless you count the peanuts). It doesn’t go to Asia or Europe. It doesn’t use wide-body jets like 777s. It doesn’t do freight. It doesn’t join any airline partnerships. It doesn’t assign seats. It doesn’t sell tickets on third-party websites (nope, not on Expedia).
If you look at this list, it’s hard to imagine that Southwest is one of the most-liked airlines in the US*.
How can that be?
By not offering food or freight, Southwest removes complexity. This means fewer delays and faster turnaround time.
By not diversifying its fleet, all Southwest pilots can fly any plane since they are the same (all 737s). This means easier scheduling, one set of operating procedures, and fewer maintenance parts.
By not going to too many faraway destinations, Southwest remains efficient. It increases the frequency of existing routes. Its staff is not spread too thin.
In exchange, Southwest offers what most customers value: more flight time options, no change fees, and free checked bags. Above all, consistency. You get what you expect.
And the secret is hidden in plain sight? Southwest has stuck to the same strategy since the 1980s. This strategy isn’t sexy, but it works.
What should we commit to not doing over the long term? What are the vital few things we must say yes to?
*According to this report, Southwest has the highest net promoter score (NPS) among the airlines in the US. NPS measures how likely customers recommend a company’s products to others.
Another fascinating stat: Southwest’s fleet size (740) was about half of United’s (1,400), yet Southwest carried ~20% more passengers (123 million) in 2021.
Southwest’s business model also inspired other low-cost carriers worldwide, such as Ryanair and EasyJet in Europe, AirAsia in Asia, and Volaris in Mexico.
Steve Nash is one of the best point guards in NBA history.
Throughout his 18-season career as a player, he made more than 9 out of every ten free throws across 1,300-plus games. His three-point percentage was 42.8%*. Most impressively, he contributed more than 10,000 assists^.
He attributed his success to preparation. “If every basketball player worked as hard as I did,” he said, “I’d be out of a job.”
But one thing most people did not know was that Nash suffered from a degenerative spine condition called spondylolisthesis. It created tremendous pressure and pain in his back. One wrong twist could put him out of the game for weeks—possibly forever.
This threat did not stop him. Nash followed a special regimen to train his core. He stretched daily. He re-learned how to run, jump, and pass to avoid injury. When he wasn’t in the game, he would lie on his back instead of sitting on a bench to reduce muscle stiffness.
With his more petite body build, Nash also developed a style to minimize direct contact with the big guys. Instead, he created opportunities for his teammates. When no one was looking, he finished a play with a graceful finger roll.
Nash did not blame the bad cards he was dealt with. Instead, he accepted the challenge. He focused on what he could control. He worked hard, he worked smart, and he worked around his limitations.
Grit, fearlessness, and resourcefulness.
That’s what made him a great player.
*Only 14 NBA players have ever achieved 3-pt field goal pct above 42%. Two other notable ones are Steve Kerr (45.4%) and Stephen Curry (42.8%). Warriors fans would then ask, “What about Klay Thompson?” He’s at 41.7%. ^Nash ranked no.4 in career assists. Watch this video for his top 10 jaw-dropping passes. I have admired his game since I was a little kid!
