We obsess over what to do but ignore how to do it—yet the how determines whether we actually do it.
“Does it make any sense to think about what you’re going to do without how you’re going to do it?”
The Three-Year-Old Test
Tell a three-year-old “brush your teeth” → probably won’t happen. Say “let’s brush our teeth together” → much more likely.
Same task. Different how. Different outcome.
Enjoyment as Efficiency
“If it’s enjoyable, you’re more likely to do it. If it’s enjoyable, it’s more efficient.”
Efficiency isn’t just speed—it’s energy cost. A car that uses a gallon per mile isn’t efficient, no matter how fast it goes.
If you have energy at the end of the day because you’ve enjoyed your work, that’s efficient. If you’re drained, you weren’t efficient—even if you got things done.
The Quality Implication
What do you want: work created by someone miserable, or by someone energized and enjoying themselves?
How you feel while working affects what you produce.
Related Concepts
- To-do lists can be your inner critic on paper
- Wanting is aliveness
- Enjoyment is the true measure of efficiency