Should I go to the gym today?
If you’re tired and run down from a big weekend of travel, thinking about your work or your training this week and wondering what to do, then you have a generic situation on your hands. The headache and fatigue you have may feel unique, but it’s highly likely that you’ve been here before.
This is a generic case.
On the other hand, if you tripped over on the weekend and sprained your ankle, or were bitten by a rare spider in the forrest, this is an instance – likely a unique case for you.
The outcome – “to focus on rest or restorative practices” (perhaps), may look similar, but the approach is different.
The first step is to understand the situation – is it recurring, or is it an instance – a unique case?
When the situation is recurring, as most of them are, you have an opportunity. You can draw from a previous experience and known solution, or, you have the opportunity to create a new process framework that is helpful in the future.
When the situation is a once-off, it is design thinking – what kind of spider? How bad is the sprain? What level of restorative movement is helpful? Do you need additional support?
Determining whether we are in a familiar pattern vs. a unique event is important. Usually, we find familiarity – allowing us to see the value of frameworks, as we also understand the difficulty of designing solutions in high stress environments (in the moment!).
