5 Analogies from Hydraulics to Cut Busyness and Free Your Time
Observing the behaviour of fluids makes you brilliant.
Suppose you think of work-life balance in terms of hydraulics. In that case, you’ll notice striking analogies between the movement of fluids and time management.
You might ask: “how can the flow of water, pipes, valves, and containers help me achieve a better work-life balance?”
Here are five beautiful analogies between productivity and hydraulics that will help you work better, smarter, and win back valuable time.
1 — Get More Done Without Working Longer
Your results are like water jets:
- The water is your time.
- The hose is your focus.
- The jet is your results.
You have two options to get stronger jets (results):
1 — Open the valve to waste more water, i.e., spend more time working.
2 — Narrow the hose, i.e., sharpen your focus.
If you choose option one, your valve is wide open, yet your jet won’t get strong enough. Similarly, if you work harder, you won’t necessarily get more results.
Option two, however, is brilliant. If you narrow the hose without wasting more water, your jet becomes powerful. Similarly, If you sharpen your focus without working longer, you’ll get much more done.
Analogy 1:
To get stronger jets (results), don’t waste more water (time). Instead, narrow your hose (focus).
2 — Various Modes of Work Lead to Different Results
You must have heard or experienced the incredible power of flow states — when you are completely immersed in your duty that you won’t feel time pass.
Your work mode is similar to water flowing into a bottle:
- If the flow is turbulent, you’ll waste more water to fill the bottle.
- If the flow is smooth, you’ll fill the bottle and save up on water.
The more you get into flow states, the better your output, the more you get done without pulling long hours.
To enter flow states quickly, avoid: multitasking, distracting environments, listening to the wrong music, working on tasks too easy or too complicated, and working under stress.
Analogy 2:
To fill the bottle (work) efficiently, harness the power of flow states.
3 — Strike the Right Balance to Sustain Productivity
Your daily energy is like a fluid pouring in a container: you have a productivity level and a burnout level.
If you don’t open the exit valve (take regular breaks) your container will overflow (you’ll reach burnout).
Breaks, even short ones, act as a safety mechanism against hitting the burnout level. To work productively, find the right balance between intensity and regular breaks.
Analogy 3:
To avoid overflow (burnout), open the exit valve (take breaks).
4 —The Same Work Expands to Fit Various Deadlines
Parkinson’s Law says: “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”
Hydraulics perfectly illustrate Parkinson’s Law:
- The fluid’s volume is work.
- The fluid’s height is productivity.
- The container’s width is the deadline.
The same volume of fluid (work) fills different heights (productivity) depending on the container’s width (deadline).
Far deadlines slay your productivity. Unless your deadline is looming, you’ll find all the excuses in the world to procrastinate. If you don’t set deadlines at all, you’ll have no reason to work.
Analogy 4:
For high level fluids (productivity), use a narrow container (close deadline).
5 — The Same Push Can Lead to Bigger Result
Use a small push to get a massive force. How? That’s precisely how hydraulic machines work.
You can convert a small push into a massive force by connecting a fluid-loaded pipe to a small cylinder in one side and a big cylinder on the other side.
Teamwork is an excellent analogy of such a hydraulic system: If you want to get phenomenal results without putting impossible workload, then don’t go at it solo.
When you build an excellent team, the compounded effort from all team members can result in outstanding achievements.
Analogy 5:
To get a bigger force (significant results), connect to a bigger cylinder (build a great team).
Take Away
Hydraulics hold excellent analogies to a productive workflow. By applying these analogies, you’ll claim back valuable time to care for yourself and connect with those important to you.
While best practices for an outstanding work-life balance seem nowadays obvious, it’s never enough to stress the value of:
- Working with a deep focus instead of working long hours.
- Seeking flow states instead of doing busywork.
- Taking breaks instead of working non-stop till exhaustion.
- Setting hard deadlines instead of procrastinating.
- Being part of a wonderful team instead of working solo.
