How to break free from "trying too hard"?

"If I just try hard enough, I can make it work."

For a long time, I believed that and kept running.
Thanks to that, I achieved many results.

However, the way of "trying too hard" does not last long.
The more you continue, the more tired you get, and sometimes the flow becomes heavy.

So, how can we break free from "trying too hard"?

In this article, based on my own experience,
I will organize the signs of "unnatural" and "natural" states,
and share the "natural strategy" that emerged from them.

The pitfall of the "trying too hard" approach

"I'll try my best to get it done by tomorrow morning!"
"If I try hard enough, it will work out!"
"Let's all work hard toward achieving our sales goals!"

I had deeply ingrained "trying hard" as if it were a catchphrase.
Whether at work or in my private life, I believed that as long as I put in the effort, things would work out.
I thought that way, and in fact, there were many times
I overcame things by doing just that.

However, there is one pitfall to the "trying too hard" approach.
It produces results in the short term, but it doesn't last.
Gradually, fatigue accumulates, and the flow becomes heavy.

Signs of being unnatural

At such times, I was slipping into an "unnatural state."

• Unintentionally tensing up

• Unable to move my hands unless I tell myself "I have to do this"

• Feeling somewhat unfulfilled even after finishing

• Becoming more depleted the longer I continue

The power of trying hard is very precious.
But if you rely only on that, it is difficult to sustain.

The concept of "natural strategy"

For a long time, I have worked in marketing and strategy planning.
When people hear "strategy," they inevitably have images of
"effort," "guts," and "methods to win."

But for me now, strategy is not that.
It is not about forcing things to pile up, but finding the flow that naturally expands and entrusting yourself to it.
I call this "natural strategy."

Questions I value in consulting

In consulting sessions, I often ask things like this:

"Are you feeling any sense of discomfort right now?"
=> This is a question to catch "unnatural signs" early.

Also, if someone looks troubled during a meeting, I intentionally ask:
"Mr./Ms. [Name], do you have any opinions?"
=> With that one remark, the atmosphere in the room can loosen up,
and the stagnant flow can start to move.

Natural strategy is not about bringing in special frameworks,
but about picking up the "unspoken discomfort" or "feelings not yet put into words" that are already there.
From there, the original flow becomes visible.

Voices of workshop participants

When I actually held a workshop on this theme,
I received these comments from the participants:

"I felt uncomfortable with the word 'strategy' as a battle term, but I felt relieved to encounter 'natural strategy'!"

"So it is possible to balance productivity and happiness."

"I want to practice natural management."

I think everyone, somewhere in their hearts,
"I want to break free from the way of just trying hard."
felt that way.

What is "natural" to you?

Trying hard is, of course, important.
But it is difficult to keep doing that forever.
That is why it is necessary to return to "natural."

For me, natural isa state where even if I entrust myself to the flow, it leads to results.Where is the "natural" for you?

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