The god of efficiency. I’ve worshiped at this altar for years. You, likely, have also. Efficiency is good. It is valid and important, but it’s not the end. We can breed horses to be faster, but why not build a car instead?
Strive after effectiveness. Be proactive and think about the long game. We can spend our days in reactionary responses, always honing our tasks so we shave off a few seconds here and there. We can try to hammer out those tasks quicker and quicker. But if we never stop and think: “what is our goal anyway? What are we really trying to accomplish?” we may miss the greater opportunity.
So stop bowing to Efficiency. See it as a worthy pursuit, something that should be admired — but certainly surrender surrendering to it. If we make a somewhat effective task very efficient rather than scrapping it for a very effective outcome, what have we really accomplished?
The answer is not to bow down to Effectiveness instead — there’s something else entirely to follow. No, instead pursue Effectiveness and seek Efficiency, but don’t believe for a moment that somehow achieving it will reward you with all pleasures of life and a sensation of “you’ve arrived” because you won’t. Neither will give you consolation or contentment.
But give up on Effective and Efficiency — continually improve yourself. This isn’t easy. Hold this in tension.
Jeff Beaumont 