Life’s Principles in Biomimicry 3: Be Locally Attuned and Responsive Part I
In this post I’m continuing with life’s principles of biomimicry and now we come to the third principle we are covering: be locally attuned and responsive. First of all, what do we mean by being locally attuned and responsive? It is to be totally present wherever you are in the world or environment. This also means eating local foods, using local products, drawing on local experts and services, accepting local conditions and being responsive to them. In other words, being alert to the signals around you, from the local environment. For example, if there is a prediction of possible flooding or a hurricane warning, then taking appropriate precautions and actions to be safe.
In this Biomimicry’s Life’s principle we look at the first strategy: how to leverage cyclic processes. Nature has many cyclical processes such as day and night; high and low tides; changing seasons – summer, autumn, winter, spring – to name just a few.
In nature, some desert plants, such as cactus, are highly attuned to the cyclical and occasional presence of rain. When it does rain, they quickly flower, reproduce, flourish and save large amounts of water in their leaves. During the drier months, they grow less quickly and use water sparingly for survival. Similarly, polar bears feed a lot before winter and hibernate during the coldest months. Trees shed their leaves in extremely cold winters to survive and new leaves sprout when spring comes. Birds migrate to warmer climates in severe winters. Things happen in their own time – nothing is rushed, everything flows with the cycles and nothing fights what is.
In a work environment, we also have reporting, accounting and planning cycles. So, we can attune ourselves to these cycles. Also, we can familiarize ourselves with the working cycles of our colleagues. If we are more productive in the mornings, then the urgent and important work could be scheduled for the earlier parts of the day. Or vice versa, depending on our energy. In accounting, an update is shared at the end of each month for audit purposes. This is a process that occurs every month, with an annual reporting and tax cycle too.
Personally, we can consider what our strengths are and be attuned to them so that we can leverage them, instead of beating ourselves up about our weaknesses. Also we can follow natural cycles by sleeping at night when dark and waking up with the dawn. Except when we are doing night shifts, that is. In addition, we can keep ourselves cool by being near a window, instead of adjusting the temperature artificially; although, this may be difficult in extreme temperatures.
The point of this strategy of leveraging cyclic processes is to flow as much as possible with cycles, just as nature does. Share with us some of your examples of leveraging cyclical processes.
