I spend a lot of time working on things that I think may be useful in the future. Since the future is unclear, I'm wrong a lot and end up "wasting" time, effort, and money. Some may look at my work habits and label them inefficient, which I'd actually take as a compliment because with what I do, efficiency is deadly. Efficiency means that you did just what was required. Efficiency means no room for error. Efficiency means that you're only doing what was expected and all but eliminating the chance of something extraordinary happening.
If I had eight hours to cut down a tree, I would not spend the first six sharpening my ax. I'd spend 5 minutes cutting it down with my chainsaw, 2 minutes celebrating the fact that I finally get to use the chainsaw that I bought and learned how to use last year, and the other 7 hours and 53 minutes working on what's next.
Do you avoid work for fear that it won't be used, or do you tackle work for fear that it won't be done?
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