Do you have the feeling, as I do, that in the overwhelm of everyday life, we're getting too much of stuff we don't need, and not enough of what we do? Herewith my first set of suggestions about how to redress the imbalance:
Reprinted from the Harvard Business Review.
Follow Tony Schwartz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TonySchwartz
Along the lines of "less information," there are some interesting studies coming out that show the cost of info overload to the brain. Interested readers can learn more here: http://www.newsweek.com/2011/02/27/i-can-t-think.html
Best wishes,
Tara
The only one I want to ask you to say more about is the last, and specifically, how do you mean for us to understand "sacrifice" as you've used it there?
♥
Anastacia
Sacrifice as in sacrificing self-interest to a larger interest or a greater good!
Cheers, Tony
I think my issue is the word. Sacrifice indicates a giving up of something wanted... and implies a loss. It's a martyred stance, and I think the world needs more people who live happily at choice, and fewer martyrs/sacrificers.
I'm pretty sure we're saying the same thing, though...yes? :)
I understand a few of these, but to claim we need less "texting", "emails", and especially less "constrictive criticism" just reeks of one who wishes technology had stayed in the immediate post-WWII or pre-1990s period. And since technology is man's only hope of long term survival, that's just brainless.
Without the ability to communicate, purchase, ship and produce at lightning speed courtesy of electronics, computers and satellite communication, Detroit would still be producing cars instead of vacant lots and "outsourcing" would mean moving jobs to South Carolina not South Korea.
Ironically the negative results are hitting especially hard on recent high school graduates with no additional education who can't live without their gizmos. The gizmos have come back to bite them.
And although graduates who don't seek further education will suffer, how is that a problem? If they're not going to pursue a higher education, they don't survive in the global economy. End of story.
To those of us who are getting degrees, however, love the "gizmos". Turns out they're fantastic tools, rather than the embodiment of human evil.
I love this list. Since it comes originally from the Harvard Business Review could it be that this could be used as a new business formula? I especially appreciate and applaud the plea to replace longer hours with longer sleep time. As you've noted before, Tony, sleep is not given the respect it deserves as a business and productivity tool. Perhaps we should teach "Sleep for Success" classes in every business college! I volunteer to lead the faculty!
Perhaps the Harvard School Of Business should teach them more. If they had then perhaps our economy wouldn't be in the mess it's in.
Could we take five minutes to prelace that difficult to look at graphic with some nice clearly rendered HTML?
Thanks
You should make a poster!
I would like to add less talking and more listening. I never learned anything while I was talking, and I don't think most people have, either. But I've learned so much by listening.
Moving in the direction of working to live for a reasonable life…
and not living to work for an unmanageable existence.
More statesman.................Less politics as usual
More populism.......................Less pandering
More cooperation...............Less polarization
More intelligent debate....................Less shouting
More equality....................Less equity
More work............................Less paperwork
More Faith.........................Less religion
More Justice........................Less justification
FF.
(Off topic: Have you heard the addage "When nothing changes, nothing changes." ?)
Thanks.