The Complacency Hydra: 4 Ways Complacency Keeps Us from Progressing

The Greeks had a mythological monster that appeared in some of their stories, a beast called the Hydra. It had one body and lots of heads. Some writers said it had six heads, some said nine, others fifty. In a lot of the ancient tales in which the Hydra appears, the hero of the story is on a mission to vanquish the monster, but each time the hero cuts off one of the heads, another one appears. It takes some special techniques and strategies (and a magic sword or two) to finally defeat the Hydra.

As we gather the resources we need to move toward our vision, complacency can show up a lot like the Hydra. You see, about the time you think you’ve defeated it, you learn that you’ve simply conquered one face of it and that there is still some battle to go.

I tell you this not to frustrate you but to equip you. I promise you, I’m someone who doesn’t spend much time thinking through bad news or worst-case scenarios or negativity. I’m far more interested in solutions and growth and progress than sitting around pondering what could go wrong or could be hard.

So when I tell you that you’ll likely find some challenges preparing for progress because complacency is something of a Hydra, I do so to equip you well, to bring your blade and come ready to keep fighting. Hence this warning sign: Monsters Ahead.

Let’s take on the four most common faces of the Complacency Hydra.

The 4 Faces of Complacency in the Preparation Stage

FACE #1: DIY-ING TO DEATH

In the process of selling our home in St. Louis, my wife and I wanted to make sure the house was in tip-top shape for the next family. My buddy Matt, who is a professional residential and commercial painter, came by the house one day, patched up some nail holes and touched up one room for us, showing me how he did things. By the time he wrapped up and left that day, that room looked good as new.

I should have hired him to take care of the rest of the house. But that DIY spirit showed up. Didn’t look that hard, I thought. I can brush over some nail holes. I would be DIY King by sundown.

Which was all well and good. Until the paint actually dried.

Everywhere that I had touched it up, you could tell. The wall texture looked different. The paint color looked slightly off. And why were all those places I touched up…dull?

It was Matt who came back to the house to save the day. As it turned out, in all of my enthusiasm to tackle this project myself, I’d missed some important steps – putty sanding, primer, paint finishes… little things that made a big difference.

There are all kinds of people who have spent all kinds of time developing the expertise you need to get back on track toward your vision. And when they’re really good at what they do, it can look effortless. Easy. That was my mistake with my friend Matt. He made it all seem so simple that I missed the nuance.

As you prepare yourself to achieve your goals, I want to challenge you to ditch any kind of a spirit of pride that makes you think you know better than someone who has gone before you. Keep your confidence; I feel certain you can do what you put your mind to. But the right posture is to know that you don’t know everything and that the information and resources and insights from others who have gone before you are mission critical.

FACE #2: SO SPECIAL

Okay, Chris, I hear you. But what I want to do is so unique, so revolutionary, so special, that no one has gone where I’m going.

This is the next face of the Complacency Hydra, the one where you think what you’re envisioning is different enough that you need to create completely new procedures and approaches to make it happen.

The author Samuel Clemens (who we know as Mark Twain) was asked by Congress to give his thoughts about extending copyrights for authors. As he was traveling by train to testify before Congress on the issue, he and his traveling companions were talking about originality. Clemens summed up his thoughts by saying,

“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”

While I don’t doubt that you’ve got an original way of communicating and problem-solving and helping people, a way that is part of the vision you have, it doesn’t mean that you can’t draw important, applicable strategies and tools from others’ experiences.

Someone has likely developed a speaking career around a topic you are passionate about. Someone has likely built a successful coaching business similar to what you envision. Someone has probably started a brick-and-mortar organization like the one you have a vision for. This is not a signal to stop. You will bring something original and new to the table because your experiences and personality and drive are not going to be the same as someone else’s. However, this also means that you have things you can learn from others, no matter how much of a fresh perspective you carry in your vision.

How does someone who has tackled a similar problem to the one you want to solve work? What are the tools they’ve used? How do they organize their time, their workspace?

Don’t be fooled by the face of the Complacency Hydra that tries to convince you that there’s no information out there that will be helpful in your quest because your idea is too original or special. There’s always something to learn.

FACE #3: MORE, MORE, MORE

This head of the Hydra tries to convince you that you can’t move forward if you don’t have all the information, if you haven’t researched all the things. It’s the polar opposite of Faces #1 and #2 and yet the net result is pretty much the same: You stay stuck. It tries to convince you that you can’t move forward until you know every single detail. But if you allow preparation to turn into an all-consuming information hunt, an end in itself, that’s all you will have accomplished.

Now more than ever before, with the world’s knowledge at your fingertips on your phone, if you think you have to exhaust every avenue of available information, that’s all you’ll ever be doing.

While you won’t find it among his writings, Will Rogers, the legendary actor, humorist, and social commentator, is often credited as saying, “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

We need to prepare a little. And then, we’re going to learn a little. And then try it. And then gather a little more and learn a little more. And then try that. We’ll be engaging the next step as part of this practice, where you’ll learn solid methods for learning and for application. You don’t have to have everything you’ll ever need toward your pursuit all gathered at one time. It’s a process, gathering some information, then processing it for use. It’s the way you once and for all lop the #3 Face of More, More, More off the Complacency Hydra.

FACE #4: AGAIN?

For the most part, when you think about preparation, I do want you to think about gathering information and resources associated with your vision. But there is something you need to gather that’s a little more subtle, while just as important.

I have found that very successful people have a particularly tough choice to make when it comes to overcoming complacency. The restart is hard because you’ve got to make a choice to pay the price again. You’ve got to make a choice to change priorities again. You’ve reached a place of comfort, and you’ve got to decide if you’re willing to change your habits, your environment, and your priorities.

The Complacency Hydra will come at you saying, “Again? Are you really willing to start over again, now that things are easier? Are you really willing to do what it takes?”

Which is why I want to encourage you to gather your resolve. Your reason why. Your passion. It’s all too easy to get fired up and excited about your goal. But when you start to gather what you need, the reality starts to set in. So, in addition to the wisdom and resources you’re gathering, gather your strength. Decide, really decide, that you’ll pay the price again – and the whole price, too. 

And I have to tell you, particularly when you’ve built other businesses and achieved other goals, this might not be the last time in this journey the “Again?” face of the Complacency Hydra will taunt you. When challenges come (and they will), when you’re tired, when you want to cut corners, you may find yourself thinking, Should I really be trying this again? Each time it shows its face, be ready with the passion you have to take this new peak. Gather that resolve and keep it close, every step of the way. Resolve is the blade that cuts through all doubt.

Wondering how you can conquer complacency and discover true drive?

In his brand-new book, From Drift to Drive, Chris Robinson helps you detect early signs of stagnation, reignite your drive, and map a renewed course toward extraordinary achievement. 

From Drift to Drive is a road map for helping you identify what you want next and how to get there with efficiency, focus, and enjoyment. In this guide, you’ll learn to determine what will be most fulfilling in your next chapter and how to create a vision for that. You’ll be challenged to learn in a way that allows you to onboard more information than you ever thought possible and apply that information more effectively. You’ll discover how to look at your friendships and those who influence you through a new set of lenses. And you’ll be equipped to take the next right steps and look at those results. Get your copy here today!