Andanydeviationordistractionfromthosethingsjustscattersyouin a bunchofdifferentdirectionsandyouendupnotreallymakinganymeaningfulprogress.
Butthatrequirestheabilitytosaynotostuff.
Therewas a famouswriter, I can't rememberwhoitwas, whosaidthatoneofthesadthingsabout, oneoftheunfortunatesideeffectsofbeing a successfulwriteristhatyoustartgettingallthisfanmail.
Andonething a lotofwritersgetintotroublewithisthatthey're, inspendingtoomuchtimeinteractingwiththefansbecausetheyviewthatas a goodthingandtheyreallywannadoit, theythenlosethefocusfromtheirwork.
There's a phraseinbusiness, whichisthatsevenskillbusinesses.
Butit's a lothardertosaynotothestuffwhereit's like, oh, youknow, thatthing's prettygood.
But I mean, maybeit's a sevenoutof 10, but I probablyshoulddoitanywaybecause I'm reallyluckytobeinthispositionand I shouldtakeitonandit'llbegoodformyCVandit'llhelpmewiththisandthisandthat.
After a fewmonths, I noticed I wasgettinglessenthusiasticaboutthisbikeride.
I think I'd mentallylinkeditwithbeingcompletelyexhausted.
Sooneday I decided I woulddothesameride, butjustchill, takeiteasy, niceandslow.
Andah, what a niceride.
I wasrelaxedandsmilingandlookingaround.
I wasbarelygivingitanyeffort.
I sawtwodolphinsinthewater.
A pelicanflewrightovermeinMarinaDelRey.
When I lookeduptosay, wow, heshitinmymouth.
I hadtolaughatthenoveltyofit.
I'm usuallysodamndriven, alwaysdoingeverythingasintenselyas I can.
Itwassonicetotakeiteasyforonce.
I felt I coulddothisforeverwithoutanyexhaustion.
When I finished, I lookedatthetime, 45 minutes.
Wait -- what? Howcouldthatbe?
Yep, I doublechecked, 45 minutesascomparedtomyusual 43.
Soapparentlyallofthatexhausting, redfaced, fullonpush, push, push I hadbeendoinghadgivenmeonly a 4% boost.
I couldjusttakeiteasyandget 96% oftheresults.
Andwhat a differenceinexperiencetogothesamedistanceinaboutthesametime, butonewayleavesmeexhaustedandtheotherwayrejuvenated.
When I noticedthat I'm allstressedoutaboutsomethingordrivingmyselftoexhaustion, I rememberthatbikerideandtrydialingbackmyeffortby 50%.
It's beenamazinghowofteneverythinggetsdonejustaswellandjustasfastwithwhatfeelslikehalftheeffort, whichthenmakesmerealisethathalfofmyeffortwasn't effortatall, butjustunnecessarystressthatmademefeellike I wasdoingmybest.
Man, lovethat.
Sogood. 43 versus 45 minutes.
I first, I remember, I firstcameacrossDerekSilva's stuffinlike 2016 when I listenedtoanepisodeoftheTimFerrissShowandthenbingedeverythinghe'd written.
Andthiswasoneofthethingsthatstuckouttomesomuch.
Whatwasthat, eightyearsago?
Sometimesjustputtingin a littlebitlesseffort, justtakingit a littlebiteasier, taking a littlebitlessseriously, ascribing a littlebitlessimportancetoit.
It's justthethingtodo.
I talkaboutthisinthefirstchapterofFeelGoodProductivity, whichisaboutplay.
Playisunlockedwhenwelowerthestakes, whenwetakethings a littlebitlessseriously, whenweapproachitwith a littlebitmorelightnessandease,
because a lotoftheresistanceandthepushandthedisciplineandthedrivethatweputintostuff, a lotofthatdoesn't actuallyhelpusmoveanyfasterormakeouroutputmoreefficient.
Itjustmakesusfeelbad.
Andifwecanfind a waytoachieveeffectivelythesamethingwith a littlebitlesseffort, trying a littlebitless, trying a littlebitlesshardandkindofmorelike, I don't know, goingwiththeflowofthewaterratherthantryingtopushupagainstthewaves, gotthatkindofthing.
Yeah, 43 minutesversus 45 minutes, goodstuff.
Procrastinationhack, changeandtoor.
Myunwrittenconditionforwhentoexercisewasthis,: whenit's a nicedayand I finishedmyworkand I haven't justeatenand I'm feelingenergetic, butofcoursethatrarelyhappens, so I wasn't exercisingenough.
Mycoachsuggested I changeandtoor.
Whenit's a nicedayor I finishedmyworkor I haven't justeatenor I'm feelingenergetic, now I exercisequiteoften.
Doyouhave a listofconditionsyouneedtohavemetbeforeyoudosomething?
Trychangingandtoor.
I vibewiththisnotbecauseit's a hackforprocrastination I vibewiththisbecauseit's a greathackforbeingmoresatisfiedwithlife.
I cameacrossthisin a TonyRobbinsevent, actually.
Therewas a storythathetold.
There's a littlegirlandshegoestoherdad's officeandthegirlsaystothedad, "Daddy, whyiseverythingalwaysin a muddle?"
Andthenthedadislike, "Whatdoyoumean, honey? Whatdoyoumeaneverything's allin a muddle?"
Andshesays, "Likeyourdesk, daddy, have a lookatyourdesk. Yourdeskis a muddle."
Andsothedad's like, "Huh?
Sohelpmesortitout. Like, whatwoulditlooklikeifitwasn't a muddle?"
Soit's a gooddaywhen I'vegonetoallmylecturesor I'vehad a goodnight's sleepor I'vesocializedwithsomeoneor I'vemadesomeprogressonmyessayandchangingandtoorinonesimplemindsetshiftcompletelytransformsourexperienceoflife.
Ifthereare 100 differentwaysforthingstobein a muddleandonlyonewayforthingstobeperfect, ifthere's onlyonewayforyoutohave a goodday, but 100 differentwaysforthedaytobebad, you'reprobablygonnahave a lotofbaddays.
Butifyouchangedtherules, ifyouchangedthesetofrulessothatitwaseasierforyoutohave a goodday, easierforyoutobesatisfiedwithwhatyou'vedone, thenyoustilldothesamestuff.