Work Like A Lion, Not A Cow

In his 2018 Letter to Shareholders, Jeff Bezos said, “Sometimes (often actually) in business, you do know where you’re going, and when you do, you can be efficient. Put in place a plan and execute. In contrast, wandering in business is not efficient … but it’s also not random. It’s guided – by hunch, gut, intuition, curiosity, and powered by a deep conviction that the prize for customers is big enough that it’s worth being a little messy and tangential to find our way there. Wandering is an essential counter-balance to efficiency. You need to employ both. The outsized discoveries – the “non-linear” ones – are highly likely to require wandering.”

Do not underestimate the power of wandering. Although most conversations about productivity are on increasing efficiency and getting more done, one of the greatest benefits is creating more time to wander.

How do we do this?

I do not know all the answers, but here are my thoughts on what I have found effective. Combine these three frameworks:

1. Work Like A Lion, Not A Cow.
2. Eisenhower Productivity Matrix.
3. One Thing Today.

Work Like A Lion, Not A Cow

(h/t Naval and Shaan Puri)

1. Cows: Lethargicly graze on grass at the same slow pace, day in and day out. This is how many people are trained to work, the standard 9-5.
2. Lions: Patiently prepare for their prey, then sprint to capture. Lions feast in celebration, then rest and recover to generate energy for the next sprint. Prepare, sprint, rest, rinse, repeat, again and again. Focus productivity on critical projects with high velocity, then celebrate and rest. Be a lion.

Eisenhower Productivity Matrix

Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th President of the United States) remarked, “What’s urgent is seldom important, and what’s important is seldom urgent.” Thus, the Eisenhower Productivity Matrix was born (visual below). Make better decisions via prioritization.

One Thing Today

Identify the one high-value task that is most important to accomplish today. Know when you are most productive and do it then. I replaced my 5+ item “to-do list” with this one framework and it works well.

The Power of Wandering

Actively create more time in your day to wander and think. Retain a childlike sense of wonder to never stop questioning and learning. Jeff Bezos also said, “I believe in the power of wandering. All of my best decisions in business and my life have been made with heart, intuition, guts — not analysis. When you can make a decision with analysis, you should do so. But it turns out that your most important choices in life are made with instinct, taste, and heart.”

Putting It All Together

Maximize your productivity and output (work like a lion). Make better decisions via prioritization (Eisenhower Productivity Matrix). Check off the must-do task (one thing today). Then, with your remaining time, explore and wander (the power of wandering), read something new, have that 1:1 catch up, go for a walk in a new area, deconstruct hard-to-solve opportunities using first principles, actively listen to customer feedback, etc.

Connect with me on LinkedIn and let me know what you think.