#81: The race we can't escape
#81: The race we can't escape
#LessIsMore #ProcessOverOutcome #ConflictResolution #ProductivityTrap
👋 Welcome to Pursuit, where we explore the art of living well. My name is Amir, and each week, I go over 10 hours of content about personal growth and mental well-being, bringing you four insights and thought-provoking perspectives from leading thinkers. I hope to have a tiny impact on your life and inspire you with the tools to lead a more fulfilling life. Join us on this journey of continuous improvement and discovery.
This week’s discovery:
🐢 Slow productivity and doing fewer things at work
🎨 The joy in the grind
🌿 Controlling what you can in conflicts
🌀 The race we can't escape
If you’re interested in listening to this week’s newsletter, you can follow Pursuit’s podcast on Spotify or other popular podcast platforms. Here’s this week’s episode:
🐢 Slow productivity and doing fewer things at work
Slow productivity, an alternative to the relentless pursuit of "more," embraces the idea of doing fewer things, working at a natural pace, and obsessing over the quality of work. This method addresses the common struggle in both the knowledge and service sectors where quality can't simply be measured by quantity.
The problem with juggling too many tasks, especially in knowledge work, is the persistent overhead each task brings. This overhead comprises administrative ****tasks, cognitive ****load, and the need to remember commitments. Consequently, most working hours are spent servicing these tasks, leaving little time for actual work. The solution lies in having fewer things on your plate which paradoxically increases productivity. This shift requires transparency about workloads, available time, and the time required for tasks. This transparency allows for rational negotiation about what should be done at any time and leads to a more sustainable and meaningful work environment.
🎨 The joy in the grind
The best craft is the one you keep doing because you’re having fun. That doesn’t mean it isn’t grueling or difficult or you don’t have any bad days that make you want to throw in the towel, but fundamentally: you like the process. You enjoy the problem you’re solving. You have fun when you hit the ball. When you love something, repetition is a thing of beauty. What makes an artist, and I think it’s just the willingness to do the work without thinking in terms of the result.
🌿 Controlling what you can in conflicts
High-stakes conversations often stem from disagreements or differing viewpoints, breeding tension and conflict. A technique called "looping for understanding" can navigate these moments. It involves asking a deep question, repeating the person's answer in your own words, and confirming if your interpretation is correct. This proves you're not just waiting for your turn to speak but genuinely want to understand their perspective. When conflicts arise, our instinct is to control the situation or the other person. However, this can be toxic, escalating the tension. Instead, we should focus on controlling elements we can manage together. This includes the environment, like choosing a better time to discuss the issue, controlling ourselves by taking time to think before responding, and controlling the boundaries of the argument. This shared control can turn conflict into cooperation, making it easier to navigate tough conversations.
🌀 The race we can't escape
As long as work was a means to an end, it could never be an end in itself. As long as it was on the other end of the scale from life, it was not life. The Get-Rich-Quick mentality says that you only have a finite amount of time for Life, so you should find ways to minimize the amount of time you spend on Work so you can get back to Life. The Productivity mentality says the same thing, suggesting that you can get more Work done in less Time so that you have more leftover for Life. Or, if we’re being honest, typically more work. A race where the prize is more racing.
Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible, and without desire. The reality of your own nature should determine the speed. If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion.
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🎵 Discovery for your ears
You’ll find mostly Ethnotronica, Organic House, World, Disco, and Organic Electronic here:
🎧 If you appreciate the music I carefully select and haven't followed my Spotify playlists yet, now is the perfect time to hit that follow button and join me on this musical journey! 🎶
🌒 Pano: Danceable and electronic obscure songs
🌓 Sisy: Ethnotronica and organic house
🌑 Berghain: Dark, minimal techno and tech house
🌕 Heide: Groovy soul and disco house
🌞 Sonntag: Afterhours shit
🌎 World: From Latin jazz to Turkish psych
🌚 Super Slow: For your intimate moments
Previously on Pursuit:
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Loved this technique:
A technique called "looping for understanding" can navigate these moments. It involves asking a deep question, repeating the person's answer in your own words, and confirming if your interpretation is correct. This proves you're not just waiting for your turn to speak but genuinely want to understand their perspective.