The Ascent Mindset
Why “Busy” is a Vector Error
If you’ve spent any time in the professional world—especially in leadership or project management—you’ve likely mastered the art of “the grind.” We’ve been conditioned to believe that if we just push a little harder, clear a few more tickets, or stay an hour later, the progress we’re looking for will eventually materialize. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: I’ve seen some of the hardest-working people I know spend years running at full speed without ever actually leaving the parking lot.
In the world of physics and navigation, we talk about something called a vector. A vector isn’t just a measurement of how much energy you’re putting out; it’s the combination of magnitude (how fast you’re moving) and direction (where you’re pointed).
Most of us in the 50+ demographic are absolute experts at magnitude. We have the work ethic, the stamina, and the discipline. But if our direction is off by even a single degree, all that hard-earned magnitude just serves to drive us further away from the life we are trying to build. This is what I call a Vector Error, and it’s the primary reason why so many ambitious projects—and personal growth plans—end up gathering dust on a shelf.
The Agile Shift: Speed vs. Velocity
In my years as a Scrum Master, I’ve had to teach teams a very specific distinction: the difference between Speed and Velocity.
Imagine you’re on a treadmill at the gym. You’re sweating, your heart rate is up, and you’re technically “running” at eight miles per hour. That is Speed. But when you step off that machine thirty minutes later, you are in the exact same geographic location where you started. You had high speed, but your velocity was effectively zero.
Velocity, in the Agile sense, requires a destination. It’s the measure of how much distance you’ve actually covered toward a meaningful goal. If you’ve ever tried to start a blog or a side business and found yourself “running out of ideas” or getting bored after a few posts, it wasn’t because you lacked the talent or the drive. It was because you were on a treadmill. You were writing for the sake of writing, rather than building a strategic component of a larger system.
The AI Shortcut: The “Directional Audit”
You don’t have to spend hours reflecting on your calendar to figure out if you’re on a treadmill. We can actually leverage AI to act as a dispassionate observer of our intent. It’s remarkably good at spotting the difference between “busy work” and “goal-oriented work.”
Try this today:
Open your favorite AI tool and give it this context:
“I am an experienced professional looking to build a sustainable, systems-driven business that leverages my background in [your skillsets]. Over the last three days, I have spent my time doing the following: [Paste a rough list of your tasks]. Please look at this list through the lens of ‘Vector vs. Scalar.’ Which of these tasks are just ‘Speed’ (maintenance/busy work) and which are actually ‘Velocity’ (moving me closer to my goal)?”
The Ascent Action: The 1% Pivot
I want you to take a look at your schedule for tomorrow with a very critical eye. I’m betting there is at least one task on there that feels productive but is actually just a comfort trap—something like endlessly tweaking a logo, reading one more “how-to” guide, or checking your AdSense stats for the tenth time.
Delete it. Just get rid of that task. Give yourself permission to stop running on that specific treadmill. In its place, I want you to perform one Vectored Action. That might mean finding a different, more productive task in its place, or reaching out to one person who could benefit from your expertise. No matter the change, you have just changed your vector and improved your productivity. Compounded over a period of weeks this daily 1% Pivot will move you in a new direction and much closer to your goals.
The goal isn’t to work harder; it’s to make sure that when you move, you’re actually ascending.
