Something You Can Do Today That Will Make You More Efficient Than 99% of People
You can do anything, but you can't do everything
Have you watched the new Alexander the Great documentary on Netflix?
Spoiler alert: The acting is super cheesy. Plus, I’ve read a lot about Alexander, and the show missed important details that made Alexander such an interesting and tragic character.
However, the show did remind me of a young Alexander story that I really like. Oddly enough, it’s a lesson in productivity.
The story goes that Alexander’s father, King Phillip, purchased a beautiful black stallion from a traveling merchant. But the horse had a problem. His temper was poor. Phillip’s top equestrians tried to tame the beast. Everyone failed.
While watching this unfold, Alexander told Phillip, “If I can ride him, then I get to keep the horse.” Phillip agreed.
Alexander took the reins and simply led the horse away from the sun, which calmed the horse and allowed Alexander to ride.
Bucephalus (the horse) was afraid of his shadow.
How to Work Smarter, Not Harder
That’s the lesson from Alexander’s story.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve found it nearly impossible to work smarter and find creativity when you’re focused on three different tasks at a time.
Research has shown that our brains are terrible at handling multiple tasks. Some studies suggest multitasking can hamper productivity by reducing comprehension, attention, and overall performance.
Here’s the key to my productivity:
When it’s time to write, I focus on writing.
When it’s time to work, I pay attention during the meeting.
When it’s time to run, I want to focus on pace.
The way I see it, you can manage one fire, but if you try to mend 6 fires at once, a few of them are going to flame out—maybe all of them.
You can do anything you’d like. But one thing is for certain. You can’t do everything.
Take Productivity Back to Basics
“The minute you get away from fundamentals—whether it’s proper technique, work ethic, or mental preparation—the bottom can fall out of your game.”
-Michael Jordan
Patrick Mahomes is gunning for his 3rd Super Bowl this weekend — the first back-to-back Super Bowl in 19 years. As sports fans, we admire how Patrick contorts his body to make side-winding throws. We admire the no-look pass just when we think nobody is open.
It’s like magic to us.
People don’t realize that Patrick can’t pull off these plays unless he’s mastered the fundamentals. Proper footwork, timing, and reading defenses. Everyone must achieve a certain level of mastery before branching out with our creativity.
“More matter with less art.” Queen Gertrude shouts to a babbling politician in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
In other words, cut out all the frivolities and focus on what matters first.
A Good Visual for How to Get Into Flowstate
My writing didn’t get traction until I found time and space to focus on writing.
Until then, writing was just a chaotic hobby.
Through some trial and error, I found the best time for writing was at 5 am.
Before my day started. When my mind was most fresh. Before the distractions of the world hit.
Getting into that flow state takes a lot of practice, but step one is placing yourself in the right environment.
Here’s a visual I recently read about from the writer Robert Greene.
Practice swimming.
Think about it. There are no headphones. There’s nothing to look at except the bottom of the pool (sometimes not even that if you’re in open water). It’s just you and your thoughts. The next stroke, trying not to drown.
Now, that’s how you get into flow state.
The One Thing You Can Do Today That Will Make You More Efficient
Now, we have a general understanding of the importance of fundamentals and focus. What can we do today that will make us more productive?
Block out time on your calendar to focus on the one thing.
I read about this tip in a new book called “Make Time” by Ex-Google developers Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky.
Step 1: Pick a highlight of the day. The one thing that’s most urgent, satisfying, and brings you joy.
Step 2: Block out time in your calendar to focus on only that thing. Rule of thumb: your highlight should take 60–90 minutes of your day.
Step 3: Check it off your list. Turn your action into a habit by marking it off a calendar.
Alexander’s story teaches us that productivity lives in simplicity. You become efficient by breaking things down and narrowing your focus.
That’s what people mean when they say to work smarter, not harder.
This is so important to know in retirement too! There are so many new and wonderful things out there but you have to find a way to focus and be present and limit.