The Principle of Positioning

We often misunderstand what led to our problems and dilemmas. When we feel stuck, or don’t like the options available to us, sometimes it’s because we’ve created our own unfavourable circumstances.

It may be hard to see that because as humans, our default emotional impulse is to blame external forces and other people. But the situation we’re in - good or bad - is actually much more the result in the small decisions and actions we make every hour of every day.

When we recognize this, we can begin to deliberately position ourselves better so that in the future, we encounter less problems and have more options.

The principle of positioning is about the consistency of making better small decisions and actions that lead to an easier future.

Getting into Good Position

This excerpt from Shane Parrish’s book Clear Thinking expresses the principle beautifully:

“We’re taught to focus on the big decisions, rather than the moments where we don’t even realize we’re making a choice. Yet these ordinary moments often matter more to our success than the big decisions…

…Each moment puts you in a better or worse position to handle the future. It’s that positioning that eventually makes life easier or harder. When our ego takes over and we show someone we’re the boss, we make the future harder. When we are passive-aggressive with a colleague at work, our relationship becomes worse. And while these moments don’t seem to matter much at the time, they compound into our current position. And our position determines our future.

…One reason the best in the world make consistently good decisions is they rarely find themselves forced into a decision by circumstances.

You don’t need to be smarter than others to outperform them if you can out-position them. Anyone looks like a genius when they’re in a good position, and even the smartest person looks like an idiot when they’re in a bad one…

…master your circumstances rather than be mastered by them…

…It doesn’t matter what position you find yourself in right now. What matters is whether you improve your position today. Every ordinary moment is an opportunity to make the future easier or harder.”

Mitigating Risk Through Positioning

Here is a powerful idea from the world of sports that we can adapt to life:

“Here’s the ‘secret’… When high level players are playing the ball, everyone typically is in good position…

Even the pro players - they don’t know where the ball’s going to be hit. But because they’re in good position, they know the limited options available - and they can shut it down.”

- Jordan Briones

This concept, from one of my favourite pickleball teachers, is both intuitive and counterintuitive. It makes sense, but when we are confronted with difficulty, we often ask the wrong question. When we ask ourselves how to predict a future occurrence, that may not be the right question. Rather, we might be better off asking how we can position ourselves to limit the number of possible surprises that could result in failure.

In the sport of pickleball, the application of this concept is that it’s not about the ability to anticipate where the ball’s going to be hit to. It’s about proper court positioning at any given moment, so that you’re in the best position to respond effectively no matter what.

At work and in life, the application is about developing our abilities, mitigating possible risks, and cultivating the best possible future circumstances through the small decisions we make every hour of every day.

From the World of Literature

Leo Tolstoy’s statement, “True life is lived when tiny changes occur,” reflects the revered novelist’s belief that the essence of life lies in the small, often unnoticed moments of growth and change. For Tolstoy, life wasn’t about grand, dramatic events but rather the continuous, incremental changes we create through our thoughts, decisions, and actions.

The idea that true life is lived when tiny changes occur aligns with Tolstoy’s philosophy that values self-awareness, moral improvement, and living in harmony with others. He emphasized the importance of adding up the small actions that over time will positively shape our character, our relationships, and our circumstances.

And that positions us for a better future.

Do you agree with this principle of positioning? I think it is simple and powerful but not easy to consistently execute.

How would you start applying this?