Continuums, Clocks and Clouds

Part 1 of a continuing series

written by James Scott

Let's get stuck in, with the first of a series of blog posts; making a case for continuums.

Balance is something I strive for. Perhaps you do too?

However, the ideal balance for me in my life probably looks different to what yours may look like. This is to be expected - your experiences, values, genetics, needs, and desires are not the same as mine.

Yet, that might sound odd, and perhaps even contradictory to the definition of balance - is balance not the ability to distribute the weight of two things equally? Surely work and recovery are fixed variables that have to be placed the same way on either side of a scale in order to strike balance, regardless of who is placing them there? (he asks facetiously)

Well, we cannot and do not measure incomparable facets of life by weight, not literally. But, figuratively, the weight which different areas of our life carry is a direct association with our value for those things. The sort of "things" I'm referring to are of-course what we do: our work, our family, hobbies, sleep, food, music, how we do them: swiftly, diligently, to please others, or for ourselves (and of course a plethora of other actions and drivers), and our emotions and relationships associated with them: doing this makes me sad/happy; this is tiresome/invigorating; stress is good/bad; I love/hate my colleagues/ doing yoga.

Therefore our needs, desires, genetics, values and experiences determine where on the scale (continuum if you will) our personal balance is placed.

It's a fitness blog, yeeees the barbell represents a continuum. Albeit a flawed continuum with very similar ends. No I'm not going to change it. Yes I'm mad at myself.

This is part of what makes you, you. Which is crucial information for a coach. "Soft"social skills are far from soft.

I believe the good coach's favourite answer is "it depends". For we don't see the world in black and white - literally or figuratively. We respect that each facet of your life is different to ours, to the last client, and to the next.

That furthermore, amid the character differences from person to person, life itself is chaotic. A constant state of flux.

This is where clocks and clouds come in.

Karl Popper (20th Century Philosopher) introduced the notion of contrasting clock and clouds. A dichotomy of systems that represent those which are organised, predictable, regular, and which can be broken down into component parts and reassembled with precision of outcome - clocks. Or systems that are entirely irregular, unpredictable and disorderly which cannot be simply deconstructed and reconstructed, reliably reformed in the image intended - clouds. A clock is much less impacted by the flux of the day to day than a cloud is.

You are not a clock, but you are certainly not a cloud either. You are likely somewhere in between, on this continuum of order and chaos.

Perhaps you are here.

You are the definition of routine, your life is by design - you have the trackers, the notepads, the schedule and the accountability. The road to success is an unwavering path carved out by discipline and sheer determination.

Or maybe even here. (sorry, I just couldn't 'elf myself)

You live day to day, elements of spontaneity around every corner, and time-keeping is an after-thought. You don't care about the nuts and bolts of something so much as how it made you feel, and you think of enjoyment as the greatest success.

These sound like two different, and very plausible people. You've probably met them.

Do you think they have the same training plan? Maybe. Do you think it works as well for each of them? Unlikely.

What does that mean for your life, your balance?

Circling back to the ingredients of nature and nurture and the types of human they yield, we are reminded that we are all different. We do not all have the same levels of malleability and adaptability as the next person, further influenced by the weighting we give to different facets of life. Therefore, the "sweet spot" that exists for you, how much you dedicate to one thing or another without getting to the point of detracting from everything else you hold dear, looks different.

That sounds like a solid case for individual program design, but that was not the intent of this piece (Honest!). Instead, this is to spark consideration, whether you are the mum, the teacher, the athlete or a coach reading this, where on some of the continuums to come do you sit? What could that mean for your life, for your balance, and for your training?

From a coaching perspective it emphasises exploration, empathy and understanding - that what works for one one necessarily work for all. Results aren't guaranteed immediately. We know how to make a clock, in the image we want, and with the ability perform its function. We do not have the capability to create clouds the way we want them to look and to emit rain, snow or to dance with lightning.

In health framework, viewing people as clocks is an outdated biomedical model, whilst viewing them more as clouds immediately creates a picture of interconnectedness and vast influences from (and on) the surroundings.

We must be curious, and non-dogmatic when considering the cocktail of factors that influence the results we want to create.

To come: Strength training continuums, Energy System continuums, Flexibility-Mobility-Stability Continuum, Volume - Intensity continuum, Conscious vs Subconscious, Nutritional Bias Continuums, Personality Continuums, and potentially many more.

James Scott