Have you ever watched, in person, as a HUGE boulder rolls downhill?

Have you ever watched, in person, as a HUGE boulder rolls downhill?
The sheer force is terrifying.

Recently, I was doing trail maintenance with a group of friends in the mountains. We were clearing brush, trimming trees, reshaping parts of the trail.

A thought occurred to me:
"This trail doesn't belong here."

Every ounce of effort was a temporary push to fight back the inevitable. Nature is constantly trying to reclaim its property. Yet there we are, the humans, pushing back.

But nature isn't fighting us.
It's just doing what it does.

The question isn't whether we will "win". We won't.
The question is whether it's worth the effort.

In my case, I know the answer.

This trail is enjoyed by thousands each year. Most notably during the HURT100, where 140 runners traverse these technical switchbacks.
I'm one of those runners.

But how obvious is that in our workplaces?

When a system isn't worth the effort, who makes the call? Most organizations don't have such a person. Systems and processes continue, simply because it always has.

Sometimes the most valuable work isn't continuing to clear the brush.
It's letting the forest take it back.