Why Be Efficient?
I think a lot about efficiency. I am constantly looking for ways to do things quickly and smoothly. My wife probably notices this more than anyone else, for example when I tell her a keyboard command for whatever she had just done with a computer mouse!
But here's the weird thing: Immediately after I do something efficiently, I'll waste the time that I had saved by doing it. All this makes me wonder what the value is for being efficient. Why save time if you're just going to waste it? I have two answers to this question.
The partial answer is this: Sometimes we finish a task before we have the next one lined up. During those times, we have to stop and think about what's next (at best) or perhaps just slack off (at worst). Many successful business people have discovered the secret of using Friday afternoons to make their plans for the following work week. That way, when whey walk in on Monday morning they can go right to what they need to do. Also, once they know how they'll be spending their week, they can contact others to schedule the appropriate meetings or phone calls with them. If they don't schedule these, lots of time can be lost by playing "phone tag".
The main answer is this: Our lives should really be driven by the desire for effectiveness, not efficiency. A person that is moving quickly but in no particular direction might as well be going in circles. If I was given the choice between doing 2 things effectively yet inefficiently or doing 10 things efficiently yet ineffectively, I'd choose the 2 effective things. However, there is a wonderful side benefit to being driven by effectiveness: When you really have a clear picture of what you're trying to accomplish, there is an internal sense of passion and drive to get it done in the most efficient way possible.
Do you ever feel like you're being slow, lazy, aimless, or scattered? Don't let these frustrations regarding inefficiency get you down. Instead, take a moment to consider what you're trying to accomplish and why you want to accomplish that thing. Then just sit with that for a moment, maybe a day or two. As the passion to accomplish that thing wells up inside, you won't need to worry about efficiency anymore (but you can guide your efficiency using the Friday afternoon trick).
But here's the weird thing: Immediately after I do something efficiently, I'll waste the time that I had saved by doing it. All this makes me wonder what the value is for being efficient. Why save time if you're just going to waste it? I have two answers to this question.
The partial answer is this: Sometimes we finish a task before we have the next one lined up. During those times, we have to stop and think about what's next (at best) or perhaps just slack off (at worst). Many successful business people have discovered the secret of using Friday afternoons to make their plans for the following work week. That way, when whey walk in on Monday morning they can go right to what they need to do. Also, once they know how they'll be spending their week, they can contact others to schedule the appropriate meetings or phone calls with them. If they don't schedule these, lots of time can be lost by playing "phone tag".
The main answer is this: Our lives should really be driven by the desire for effectiveness, not efficiency. A person that is moving quickly but in no particular direction might as well be going in circles. If I was given the choice between doing 2 things effectively yet inefficiently or doing 10 things efficiently yet ineffectively, I'd choose the 2 effective things. However, there is a wonderful side benefit to being driven by effectiveness: When you really have a clear picture of what you're trying to accomplish, there is an internal sense of passion and drive to get it done in the most efficient way possible.
Do you ever feel like you're being slow, lazy, aimless, or scattered? Don't let these frustrations regarding inefficiency get you down. Instead, take a moment to consider what you're trying to accomplish and why you want to accomplish that thing. Then just sit with that for a moment, maybe a day or two. As the passion to accomplish that thing wells up inside, you won't need to worry about efficiency anymore (but you can guide your efficiency using the Friday afternoon trick).
posted by Ben and Christina at
10:13 PM
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