Type of task and the effort needed

 Often times we spend disproportionate amount of time on tasks that are non-value adding (wordsmithing a trivial mail, getting to precise numbers accurate to 2nd or 3rd decimal when a whole number would just do, take attention to detail to extremes on marginal tasks etc.,). Opposite is also true - that we spend very little time on high impact tasks (create shabby slide decks, convey incorrect/ambiguous data, forget target audience etc.,), most often due to lack of time (perhaps coming in from lack of prioritising). Heck, most of the times, we may not even be aware of relative impact of the task on hand to even apply some heuristic to decide how much effort to spend or what constitutes 'good enough'.

I found the following model very simple, actionable and profound (courtesy @shreyas).

Are you spending enough time on tasks that has high leverage?

What RamP's Reading: May'21

 

Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life
We are living through a crisis of distraction. Plans get sidetracked, friends are ignored, work never seems to get done. Why does it feel like we're distracting our lives away? In Indistractable, behavioural designer Nir Eyal shows what life could look like if you followed through on your intentions. Instead of suggesting a digital detox, Eyal reveals the hidden psychology driving you to distraction, and teaches you how to make pacts with yourself to keep your brain on track. Indistractable is a guide to making decisions and seeing them through. Empowering and optimistic, this is the book that will help you design your time, realise your ambitions, and live the life you really want.

Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success
A few common principles drive performance, regardless of the field or the task at hand. Whether someone is trying to qualify for the Olympics, break ground in mathematical theory or craft an artistic masterpiece, many of the practices that lead to great success are the same. In Peak Performance, Brad Stulberg, a former McKinsey and Company consultant and writer who covers health and the science of human performance, and Steve Magness, a performance scientist and coach of Olympic athletes, team up to demystify these practices and demonstrate how you can achieve your best.

The Passion Paradox: A Guide to Going All In, Finding Success, and Discovering the Benefits of an Unbalanced Life
Common advice is to find and follow your passion. A life of passion is a good life, or so we are told. But it's not that simple. Rarely is passion something that you just stumble upon, and the same drive that fuels breakthroughs—whether they're athletic, scientific, entrepreneurial, or artistic—can be every bit as destructive as it is productive. Yes, passion can be a wonderful gift, but only if you know how to channel it. If you're not careful, passion can become an awful curse, leading to endless seeking, suffering, and burnout.