13 June 2022

We are all different, so what works for one person may not work for another person. In fact, what works for one person may actually make things worse for another person, if they try to follow it or adopt it. It just may not work!
Also, do not become evangelical to others if you find something that works for you and then try to directly or indirectly pressure them to do or follow it in the same way. Especially, do not force it onto them in some way, if you are in a position of authority or have some influence over them. You cannot expect it to also work for them in the same way that it may work for you.
And even if you think that you have found something that works for you, you still need to try it again to see if there is something that works better. You have to constantly tweak something to get it better and better. It is a process of never-ending improvement. It’s another form of the 80/20 rule, as the first 80% of a task always takes the first 20% of your effort, but the last 20% always takes 80%!
Additionally, be careful not to be tempted by something new and shiny that you think will solve all your problems. Not only may it not, but you may then also ultimately feel more disappointed in the end, as you have by then raised your expectations unrealistically.
You always need to think about what is productive and good for you from what is not productive and not good for you. Sometimes it is just about finding one thing that works for you, rather than looking for many things. Don’t miss seeing the wood for the trees, as people like to say. You also usually have to try out lots of things or methods to find out what works for you and what does not work for you.
Remember, you also find out what works by finding out what does not work – it is a process of trial and error. There is not usually just one ‘eureka’ moment (the exclamation of the ancient Greek scholar, Archimedes, when he thought of something in the bath, who was so eager to share it that he then leapt out of his bathtub and ran naked through the streets!)
It is also about acting efficiently, so try to only do one thing at once. If you need to do more than one thing at once, don’t do more than one actively in the foreground and one passively in the background, which you can switch between. Trying to do more than this, may give the impression that you are doing more things, but you may not be doing them properly, like as if you had just focused on doing just one thing at a time.
Finally, learn to fail quickly and move on. You usually know something is not working soon after you start it, but often we don’t want to admit it, especially if we raise our hopes unrealistically. Not only are we disappointed, but we also feel embarrassed. But as the famous comedian. W. C. Fields, said: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a fool about it.”
So, this week, remember that we are all different and what works for one person may not work for another and also try to think about what is productive for you from what is not productive for you. You may be surprised to find that it is often very simple changes or tweaks that make a real difference!




