3 ways in which we can achieve more with less - ideas from Rework
Hi!
I end my paternity leave tomorrow and go back to work, so have had a pretty busy two weeks clearing any remaining errands (such as watch Endgame), and spend as much time as I can with my daughter. Work is definitely going to be different now, with more tasks to do before and after work, and the struggle to spend as much time as I can with Joy on weekdays. Really glad I had taken this time off to bond, and am very blessed that it is even possible for me.
During my snippets of free time, I have been reading Rework. In this book, the founders of Basecamp distill their experiences from building their company. It has a focus on challenging common ideas on what work, business, and the right path to success should look like.
Often, mainstream ideas tend to be adopted as the gospel truth without deep analysis on why they work, or if they even work at all in the majority of cases. These are often ideas that are highlighted in the media anecdotally. We end up judged based on these mainstream ideas as the barometer for success. I believe every idea can be challenged. It is thus nice to read an endorsement of a different way of doing things.
One common theme in Rework is to focus on doing less rather than more. Here are 3 ways the book suggests we do, which I hope to try and apply in my own life and work:
1. Throw less at problems
Our society celebrates workaholism and applauds those who spend a large amount of time working. However, working more does not always mean more is done, it only means you work more. Workaholics are willing to solve a problem with brute force than efficient solutions. Worse, they may intentionally create new problems so they can solve them
Rather than brute force, increasing costs and resources, when faced with a difficult problem, we should try and throw less at it. We do this by reducing the size of them problem, re-defining it into different parts, and focusing on the core ones. Then we look for a "Judo Solution" - one which does the most with the least effort - to tackle the core of the problem. It may not solve the problem in entirety, or with elegance or glamour, but it will generate the most value.
It may also be efficient to quit. What was a good idea if it could be done in 2 hours, is likely not a good idea anymore if it needed 20 hours to get done. Rather than be a hero to take on unsurmountable odds, we can quit when things are out of proportions. This is not failure, but repurposing our focus to something else with more benefit.
2. Embrace having less mass
The world loves big numbers. Large companies, large houses, large collections of stuff. Whenever a small problem appears, the common solution is to add on something new to deal with it: setting up a new department, or buying a new gadget. But, do we really need all this?
Having less mass gives speed and adaptability. It keeps companies moving faster. It keeps our lives easier. Every new thing we have must be stored, maintained, and organised. I used to have a large stack of credit cards to try and gain the different benefits. The cards were "free" after all. I later realised that the time spent administrating these cards exceeded the benefits of the cards, and now keep myself to just 2 credit cards.
Having less mass may mean we do not have the optimal tool for each particular problem when it arises. These problems may not arise as often as it seems, or we can always find a good enough solution that removes the bulk of it.
3. Care less about others
Businesses often fixate on their competitors, thinking of what they are doing or achieving. We too constantly look against our peers in our personal and professional lives, wanting to keep in pace. Does it really matter what others are doing? It is outside our control anyway. Fixating on others leaves us reactionary rather than being visionary.
We should also learn to say "no". We are conditioned to avoid confrontation and try to please everyone, and end up saying "yes" as much as possible, especially at work. We end up with too much to do that distracts from the real important work. This creates long term regret and a risk of failing to follow through. Saying "no" (even at times to yourself) trades short term confrontation to avoid long term regret. The difficult part is in filtering views and requests that are truly important, against those that are merely the loudest. Rework has a really interesting example: A chef might take into consideration if he often gets feedback that his food is too salty, but will not add bananas to pasta just because vocal customer tells him it would taste good.
To build that resolve to care less about others, we need to draw a line in the sand about our core beliefs and stand firm on them. It could be our personal values, or at work, a clear belief about our value to the company or customer. Surely some will disagree with us as we stand our ground, but there will also be those who defend us. Trying to please everyone will only end up alienating everyone.
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Do share if you have any other ideas on how we can do better by doing less, or any personal experiences!
On a side note, I am trying to slowly put all newsletters and perhaps more things I write onto a proper website. You can check out my work in progress site using the header at the top or here!
Have a great week ahead!
James
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Ideothetic Flow is a fortnightly newsletter where I reflect on insights that I have found useful in rethinking life in a more realistic way.
Modern culture, media, and technology, for all their benefits, have distorted the view of a complete and happy life. The ideas I share are those which have helped me gain a deeper understanding of my own identity and circumstances, and inspire change towards a happier life, and I hope they will do the same for anyone else who reads this.
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