There is a classic quote from Bruce Lee: “Empty your cup, so that it may be filled”
Love this analogy. Cups that are already full, cannot be filled. You can’t put wine in a glass that is already full of water.
Most of us are bound with finite resources, and all of us with finite time. No matter how hard we try to squeeze all the efficiencies out of our day, how hard we try to get a few minutes here and there, the consequence is, that we are also bound by finite attention. Our mind is a vessel, and we have a choice on what goes into that vessel.
Sometimes, we have a vision, of a better state, on who we want to become, and we just get weighed down with who we already are. We want to pay attention and spend time, on the new things that attract us, and we just cannot find the time and focus because we are already busy and focused on what we have been doing until now.
The same applies to organizations, with a slight difference. Organizations have the option to expand attention and time, by hiring more people and focusing them on the new project. It doesn’t come cheap though, and it may fail; so rarely do we see this happening.
Sometimes, however difficult the decision might be, to start anew, the only solution may be to stop doing other things.
Before you fill up, empty your cup.