[Warning: The following blog post may contain physics. Weak minds you have been warned]
Last month I sat down with the owner of a multi-million dollar company. He’s one of our clients and his story is one of amazing success. After coming to the country with $18 in his pocket, he went to work, bootstrapped his own business, created a whole new industry and now owns several multi-million dollar companies. Without getting into specifics of what he does, a large portion of his business has to do with creating and utilizing vacuums [the tube kind, not the home appliance].
As we finished up talking shop, the conversation transitioned away from business & on towards life. As he mulled over his life, he mentioned that one of the greatest life lessons he learned from his business, was how vacuums work. This is that idea:
What is a Vacuum?
There’s a lot to say about vacuums but the readers digest version is a “vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure”. The word vacuum actually comes from the Latin term for “empty.” [Thanks Wikipedia!] In order for a vacuum to exist the “volume of space” needs to be empty. The more “empty” a vacuum is, the more effective it is and the better it works.
A Real Life Example
Life and business are a lot like a vacuum. Say you’re a business owner with an under-performing employee. It’s a consistent issue that hasn’t changed. If you have an employee that’s under-performing it’s your duty to let him go. Chances are you’re holding on to him because you think he’s the best you could find and you’re waiting until you find someone better. After all, if you let him go, who would do his job? Chances are he’s under-performing because he doesn’t like his job and he’s waiting to find something better. After all, if he quit, who would pay the bills?
Instead of actually going after something better, you’re both doing nothing and settling for mediocre. [This is where the vacuum comes in].
The Law of the Vacuum
You won’t find a better employee until you get rid of the bad one. You have to create a vacuum. It’s your job to let the employee go, because it’s not only good for your company, but good for the employee. By letting him go, you put an immediate stop to the mediocrity standstill and you create a vacuum. The employee is now freed from the job he hates and can find a job that he enjoys and you’re freed from an under-performing employee. You’re going to find a new employee that likes his job because you have to in order to keep moving along in business. Your former employee is going to find a new job, because he has to. The vacuum takes the continuous stream of mediocrity, turns it on it’s head and sets things spinning. It forces you to find a better employee, and forces your ex-employee to find a job that better fits him. By creating a vacuum, you’re creating the space needed in order for something better to happen.
How To Create A Vacuum
Stop holding on to the mediocre and find something better. Create space in order to allow new opportunities to come your way.
Take a risk.
Try something new.
Go out on a limb
Create a vacuum
Put another way, you can’t catch anything if your hands are already full. You have to let balls go.
Sometimes your safeguards, backups and contigency plans are your safety net, but sometimes they’re holding you back. The vacuum only works when it’s empty. If you don’t create that space, you’ll never be open to new opportunities.
Quit mediocrity. Create a vacuum. See what happens.
What do you think? Is the law of the vacuum a reality or just a convenient coincidence?
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With the reservation of saying that not all mediocre employees should get fired (maybe they just should be put back on their former position, if they had one: Our career system invites us to advance people until they reach mediocricy), I must say that you’re on to something with this theory. Creating a vacuum from time to time definitely can help to let go of the stuff that’s holding us back and start from scratch, even if it’s just in certain areas of our lives.
It’s more about releasing people from jobs they’re not a good fit for than just firing mediocre employees. By letting go, you let them go find what they really want and release yourself to go find a rockstar for that position.
Such a great perspective. Yet another example of how simple action, really any action, goes much further than you would think. Physics sucks but this post is great.
haha “physics suck, but this post is great” – i might have to use that for some sort of testimonial. =) Glad you liked it.
Great post, Joel! The great thing about physics is that the laws have many applications. Like quitting your job so you can make your side business blossom, say good-bye to things that no longer serve you in your personal life so a new life can be forged, even sell your books to pay for a Kindle!
The kindle decision is one I’m contemplating right now! Is it worth it?
Unequivocally, totally, 100%, yes! I love mine. And the new one is just over 8 ounces. Easy on the wrists which is good for those of us who use a keyboard a lot.
I might just go & check it out =)
I always liked this expression:
“The trapeze artist knows there comes a time when he has to let go of the bar he’s holding, if he’s to have any hope of catching the next one”.
When you’re right, you’re right, Joel.
That’s a sweet quote =) So true. Sometimes you’ll never find the solution until you abandon whatever you’ve been holding onto. Thanks for that Lach!
nice post! this is the same as when you’re doing spiritual work. same thing. there’s a void. we don’t like the void. or as in feng shui also. if you don’t absolutely love something and it doesn’t bring joy into your life, release it so you can have more of what you love. yes, i know, feely stuff. but it means the same. i enjoyed reading about your experience with this business person. thanks for sharing!
Marina
Thanks Marina!
I always really enjoy it when you can see the same principle applied across a bunch of different areas. It shows that it’s much more of a principle, than just coincidence.
Just read about the vaccuum law and realized we were already doing it. That made me happy. We are in the process of getting rid of everything we own right now to hit the road with our two little girls.
We are practicing an insane amount of faith by taking the first step while not seeing the top of the stairs yet.
Glad I found this blog. Thanks for the motivation.
It just clicked and I’m going to apply the law by not renewing the lease for my apartment, hoping the homelessness will force me to sieze the no-rent opportunity and travel to Buenos Aires for 3 months. take a leap.
Wow. That’s awesome David. Good luck on making the jump. Sometimes we just need to create space so we’re forced to do something. Let me know how the trip goes!
I vacuumed it a couple of days ago by quitting my part time job of 7 years in customer service in a massive company with no soul, which was definitely my safety net.
Now, two days later, I have been offered a job trial for this Sunday (16th) to work weekends as an entertainer on a Party Bus for kids. I will get paid to be a big kid! As soon as this opportunity came up, I thought of this post which I read just before quitting my job.
You need to make space to grow!
it blew my mind while I’m searching for something to blow my crazy physics attitude!great job Joel.