Delete, delete, delete: the ultimate productivity hack – Matt Sgarlata's blog (opens in new tab)

Oh boy, the recency effect section definitely called me out. I often feel like a line cook taking orders, and I know it's led me to feeling burned out in the past. Good reminder to be more judicial with what lands at my feet.

The even bigger piece of wisdom I probably need to follow here is in paying attention to my subconscious. I think I'll often feel bad for leaving something untouched or half finished, but coming back and getting space away from things you don't want to do really does give you either time to rejuvenate or clarity on what to do better.

> If you find yourself having trouble focusing on a task or you’re procrastinating about something, stop working on it immediately. This is your subconscious telling you something is wrong.

Absolutely, and it's one of the benefits of having years of experience writing software. Sometimes my instincts tell me something is off, even if I can't yet identify exactly what it is. Coming back to the problem later with a fresh perspective can do wonders.

Matt, if I had a dollar for every time I used the saying "juggling glass balls vs rubber balls," I'd be a millionaire. Prioritization is fundamental to efficiency, and inevitably you won't be able to juggle all the balls thrown your way. This is where it's critical to know which rubber balls can be dropped without breaking and which glass balls require constant juggling. I wholeheartedly agree with your points about recency -- now I just have to learn how to translate what I'll call "efficient procrastination" to my boss! Btw, nothing feels better than deleting a useless task; it's like free therapy for the brain.

I mostly nod along to your points. The whole thing about the finite nature of time really hits home. We're all running around with a ticking clock, trying to cram as much as we can into our days. And the idea of just axing tasks to free up space? Genius in its simplicity. I remember Elon Musk's "delete, delete, delete" mantra, and it's pretty spot on.

Bill Gates' take on preferring a lazy person for a tough job because they'll find the easiest way to do it? I'm all for efficiency, but maybe "lazy" isn't the word I'd use. Resourceful, perhaps? It's a minor quibble, but it sticks out to me.

The recency effect is a trap I've fallen into more times than I care to admit. Setting tasks aside to gauge their importance later is a tactic I'll have to try more deliberately. And avoiding rework by getting things clear the first time? Absolutely. Nothing more frustrating than going over the same ground because of a misunderstanding.