Wandering Aimlessly Is Encouraged

This past week's assignment from Bruce Mau's "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" focused on drifting. It reads, "Drift. Allow yourself to wander aimlessly. Explore adjacencies. Lack judgment. Postpone criticism." It sounds much easier than it is. In fact, this may have been the most challenging for me to date.

I'm not sure where the challenge for me originates but two of the concepts in particular, namely "wander aimlessly" and "postpone criticism" were the hardest. I understand completely that in order to wander aimlessly, criticism needs to be suspended. Otherwise, I could not wander. The idea of suspending judgement and criticism has appear before in the Manifesto but this time is the coupling with wandering, or as I interpreted it, exploring, presented the hurdle.

It feels like this is the next step is reducing or de-emphasizing judgement. Before, the idea was do what you do and don't judge it until the end. Then, don't judge it at all, just do what you do. Now it has evolved to do something new that isn't what you do just for the sake of doing something new that isn't what you normally would do. And do it randomly, without looking for a benefit. Doing something new, something random is its own benefit. Intellectually, I completely understand. Emotionally however, is a different story.

I saw myself questioning the validity of doing the new, aimless adventure. I was analyzing what I could get out of it. I was judging it while I was doing it. I will keep practicing trying to wander aimlessly. I can see the purpose, which are many: exposure to new things or processes; discover hidden treasures in the world, others and myself; break from convention; discover my true passions; discover my true dislikes; and the potential to flip my life upside down. I think it all goes back to doing is its own merit and reward. The question is, how do I forgo judging and criticizing. I will have to get back to you on that. Right now, I don't know. Overall, I like the idea of temporarily getting off the path and seeing what lie just over the hill. Maybe something shiny.

This week's suggestion appears to be linked to last week, "Begin anywhere. John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere."