The Burping Effect!

Do not read this article if you are satisfied with 100% of your day-to-day tasks. 

If you are not, then you are probably, a software developer who hates documentation. A project manager who does not enjoy time tracking. Or a professional who considers meetings are a waste of time. Regardless of your proficient, this article has something for you. 

Let’s start with a story:  

When my daughter was born, we used to feed her every two to three hours. The two-step feeding process used to take around 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes for the baby to eat, and 20 minutes for her to burp.

Although I did enjoy feeding the new member of our family, one thought kept nagging me. Why are babies designed to need to burp after every meal? Why the extra complication? It is already very tiring to wake up several times in the middle of the night. The feeding time would be cut in half if it was not for this “non-value adding” step of Burping. 

It all came together after a few weeks. I noticed that I sat the baby on my lap with her body inside my arm to eat. But to burp, I had to let her sit in an upright position against my chests. In simple words, Burping required hugging, which made the step more emotionally involved. I linked my observation with a psychosocial development theory that I read years ago. It suggested that when parents are engaged in an appropriate touch with their infants, the infants develop a sense of trust, which stays with them forever. 

It was indeed an Aha moment for me. It is crystal clear. Scientifically, when babies burp, they get rid of some of the air they tend to swallow during feeding. The prerequisite of this step is to hug them, which creates an everlasting emotional bond and instill in them a sense of trust.   

Becoming mindful of the emotional side was very influential. I started to think about Burping as “bond creation,” which transformed my frustration into pure enjoyment.  

Now, Let’s ask ourselves a question: is there a slight chance that what we consider as tedious tasks could possibly be valuable? 

The answer is yes, and it’s in our best interest to identify these tasks and learn their significance. Achieving this goal is not easy but rewarding. You may be surprised that one of the activities you were avoiding is highly required in the market, or It truly differentiates you from others.  

You may consider voicing your concerns with the process team or with your manager. But keep in mind, You should set your ego and presumptions aside. The goal is to restore your drive by finding the value behind everything you do. I encourage this method because all its outcomes are positive:

Outcome 1: If the activity is indeed valuable, then you will get a better understanding of the subject task(s). The result is more appreciation for your job.

Outcome 2: If there is a defect in the process: then you will contribute to the solution. The result is increased motivation because your voice is valuable.     

Outcome 3: If you receive no response (even after following up), then ideally, this should trigger you to start looking for a new job. 

In the end, we should spare no effort to increase our awareness, because failing to evaluate the real value of an activity/skill would keep our motivation low. And probably lead to a loss of a future opportunity.