Priorities
Nov 2nd, 2007
When I’m teaching my classes, sometimes a student will say, “Aaron, you are so patient with our dumb questions.” And I respond, “That’s my job this week.”
See, if I was trying to ship software, the dumb questions would be an annoyance. But, if my priority is to eliminate dumbness, answering questions is the most effective use of my time.
Sometimes when I’m walking around the neighborhood with the boys, a car will pass too quickly, and I think, “There is someone who has lost track of their priorities.”
My grandmother accidentally killed a small girl with her car. She lived for 40 more years, and never drove again. Next time you are running late and driving fast, imagine how she must have felt. Priorities, people.
I think that a lot of what people call “self-discipline” is having clear priorities.
Where Have I Been?
It has been two weeks since my last post. I’ve been working on the third edition of my book “Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X”. I had to revise 400 pages into a useable state in three weeks. It is there, and I am relieved.
As I worked feverishly, I thought about my priorities: How important is this blog? How important is lunch with a friend? How important is a glass of wine on the porch with Michele? The truth is this: all of them are more important than the book. Why did the book get priority? It had a deadline.
When I plan my afternoon, two things matter: my to-do list and my calendar. Tasks on the to-do list get a boost in priority if they correspond to a looming deadline. The boost is temporary — both the task and the deadline are soon in the rear-view mirror — but the boost is a corruption of my priorities, and has two bad side-effects: inefficiency and tunnel-vision.
Inefficiency
Here’s an example from last week: I had a dentist appointment, and the trip home would take me near the Apple Store. And I needed to pick up an iMac that the Geniuses had fixed. Do I stop? It is going to add 30 minutes to my trip home — 30 minutes that could be spent on the book.
Writing has priority over fetching the iMac. I probably should have just driven home and resumed writing. But i didn’t. The 30 minute detour then eliminated a 90 minute trip a week later. Thus, by ignoring the deadline, 60 minutes of my life that would have been spent sitting in traffic were reclaimed.
David Allen (the “Getting Things Done” guy) doesn’t think you should invest a lot of energy into priorities. He argues that you should make a list of things that you are actually going to do, and them do them in the most efficient manner possible. Got a phone and 5 minutes? Take care of the things on your list that require phone calls.
By valuing efficiency over priority, you will get more done. But, you may miss a few deadlines. I find this an odd paradox: Two twins work. One gets more done, but the other always gets things done on time. I can think of two explanations.
- First explanation: the second twin doesn’t really make his deadlines. I suspect that over the long haul, people who work inefficiently fall behind.
- Second explanation: The second twin gets tunnel vision.
Tunnel Vision
Someone once said, “I was so busy taking care of the crucial stuff that I didn’t pay any attention to the really important stuff.” The crucial tasks are the ones that have had their priority boosted by a deadline. The important tasks are the ones that you are proud of at the end of your life.
People who rush from deadline to deadline don’t have time for the really important things: friends, family, fun, exercise, the simple pleasures, and big ideas.
Deadlines
Before FedEx and the fax machine, I think there were fewer deadlines. Before venture capitalists and conferences, I think things shipped when they were done. Before quarterly reports, I think people addressed the tribe only when they had something to say. Maybe we have too many deadlines now.
Some of you who are reading this may be wondering when you can get a copy of the 3rd edition of my book. The answer: When it is done. In the meantime, I’m going to go have a glass of wine on the porch with my wife.
Assignment
Today, ignore something crucial and do something important.
“People who rush from deadline to deadline don’t have time for the really important things: friends, family, fun, exercise, the simple pleasures, and big ideas.” So true!
Last week predicament, shall I go ski touring in the mountains with friends or spent another day on a seemingly endless project ?
Sometimes when you code and can’t figure out bugs or problems, ‘you are simply too close to the problem’…
Well I took the trail less traveled… and I’m glad I did! (My brain is refilled with fresh air and ideas!)
High on attitude and btw life is too short!
Bravo! Glad someone said it.
@Gavin: My brain is refilled with fresh air and ideas!
Yea, and I’ve noticed, when I stop working on a problem and go do something else, the answer to my problem just pops in my head… sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to take a break.
In answering the question “Do you write by inspiration or by perspiration?” Faulkner is supposed to have once said someting to the effect of “I write by inspiration. Fortunately, inspiration strikes every day at 8 am.” Living in Colorado, I have lots of opportunity to go ski touring etc., and, ah, refill my brain, but at the end of the day, only hard work is going to solve my problems.
Indeded, I have found in my years as an applied research chemist that, if I work really, really hard, then there is a chance that I will learn something new and interesting. If I don’t work really, really hard, then I can probably still maintain my job and get by. I know lots of people with quality big ideas, but only a few with enough drive to make even one of them happen.
Sipping wine on the porch with your wife is one reward for hard work - you didn’t get the wine, the porch or the wife by going skiing and thinking deep thoughts.
Lastly, I’ll comment that efficiency is great, but I am constantly running into time efficiency vs. money efficiency problems. And this is where the hard decisions get made.
Life is indeed too short - better get something done today.