Economy of motion

I love that phrase: economy of motion. I first heard in my Jeet Kun Do class (so enamored was I of the phrase that I thought I'd ponder that for the next 6 months instead of return to the class). Jeet Kun Do is the martial arts system developed by Bruce Lee. Economy of motion is defined as (as always, thank you Wikipedia):

1. Efficiency: an attack which reaches its target in the least amount of time with maximum force.
2. Directness: doing what comes naturally in a disciplined way.
3. Simplicity: thinking in an uncomplicated manner

The second two are what fascinates me the most: doing what comes naturally and thinking in an uncomplicated manner. When I first started my anesthesia residency, I was sure I made a horrible mistake. I watched every number and squiggly line and listened to every beep and buzz with such intensity (lives were on the line!...sort of) that it was if I was pausing the screensaver in brain so as to burn the picture forever in my memory. And, although I was competent, my procedures were riddled with a second to second critique of the prior steps and intense analysis of the future steps. I was an alien in the OR. Nothing was natural; nothing was uncomplicated.  Everything was extraordinarily stressful.

Now I don't think at all. I can discuss the case or chart or whatever without thinking about the beeps and whistles. But if the heart rate changes by 3 beats per minute, everything else gets shut out and I return to the same intensity I had as a resident. When I perform procedures now, it's like dialing a number: don't ask me what the number is because I don't consciously know it; I can just dial it. I can just place the line or intubate.


I learned the complexities and theories behind anesthesia in residency. But what I really learned was to breathe it. To be it. Performing anesthesia is natural; it is uncomplicated. I do it without thinking.

Economy of motion is action without self-consciousness.

Loss of economy of writing: I thought I'd start linking to blog entries that have helped me better understand the medium. This is blog that I find quite entertaining. The reason I'm linking to this entry is that, based on his first couple paragraphs, Suldog developed a level of self-consciousness not there before getting the blog nod...  Suldog: Hello, New Followers! Here's Where You Begin To Realize I'm A Lazy Slug!