Hard Thought

I saw this quote from James Clear recently, and it resonated with me:

“We need to define “hard work” to include “hard thinking.”  The person who outsmarts you is outworking you.  The person who finds shortcuts is outworking you.  The person who has a better strategy is outworking you.  Usually, the hardest work is thinking of a better way to do it.”

A robust work ethic is great to have - and is table stakes for most career situations.  But do not overlook the value of deep thinking to set yourself and your organization apart.  Since it is mostly revealed well after the fact, quality thinking is undervalued.  Some time before Jeff Bezos bought the cheapest office space he could find, and placed a door across a couple of saw horses to use as his desk, he had achieved sufficient strategic clarity to know that dominating the world of online bookselling would open vast, blue oceans for his startup to scale into rapidly.  It was only after this strategic insight that his aggressive work ethic mattered very much.

The first lawn care service that discovered how to access and use satellite photos of real estate earned a leg up over the competition - this allowed them to generate instant price quotesfor their services, while everyone else still required a personal visit to each property before generating their competitive bid.

The founders of Uber and Lyft were the first to connect the dots that the addition of GPS services to the millions of smartphones around the world would create the conditions in which a decentralized network of private car owners could utterly disrupt the market for taxi services.

You get the point - insights large and small can create a competitive advantage.  That’s why it is so important for leadership to step away from their organizations a few times each year, to examine their base-level assumptions and open themselves up to the possibility that there are better ways of doing things.  Essentially, advantages gained from stepping away and thinking deeply are proof that you care just a little bit more about who you serve and how you serve them.

The same opportunity exists for how we manage ourselves and our households, if only we take the time to think about it.  Good ideas often sneak up on us.  Conjuring them is not as easy as picking up a shovel and digging a ditch.  You’ve got to pose the right questions to yourself, and if nothing immediately arises in response to it, you can be sure that some portion of your subconscious brain will continue to work on the problem, delivering an answer in the not-too-distant future.

So don’t just work hard.  Take breaks, get away and think.  Ponder good questions.  Create more surface area for inspiration to arise.  When the answers bubble up, they may crack open whole new areas for you to explore and then apply that strong work ethic that the world more easily sees and values.

Sunday Supper
If you didn’t try out that Kings Ranch Casserole last weekend, you’re missing out.  I made it last Sunday, and it was delicious.  With the temperatures continuing to drop and the Superbowl of Cooking (Thanksgiving) behind us, now would be a good time to make this simple but satisfying Tomato Rice With Crispy Cheddar from Priya Krishna.  (I sometimes substitute a can or two of Rotel for the diced tomatoes to save myself some food prep.).  I think I’m going to make this Lemony White Bean Soup with Turkey & Greens today to use up the last of our bird. Rather than make a salad, perhaps roast a pan of sturdier vegetables today.

Sunday Music
I love April Varner’s voice.  Here is is her 2023 submission to the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition.  And here is John Batiste playing some Christmas music on the piano.  Enjoy!

If you know anyone who might like this essay, please share it with them. 

Have a great week ahead!  Offer support to others.  Make good use of this day.  And let me know how I can help.

Peace & Love,