When Less Really Is More
How we simultaneously underestimate and overestimate ourselves, and how to avoid both
Is there any more overused cliché than “less is more”?
I guess that’s kind of ironic, given the spirit of the saying. But I digress.
There’s an application for the aphorism that I don’t think gets enough attention. It has to do with achieving goals and managing tasks. When it comes to estimating the goals you can achieve in a given time, we tend to underestimate ourselves. But we shouldn’t.
However, when it comes to filling up our to-do lists for the day, we tend to overestimate what we can get done. But once again, we shouldn’t.
Both of these errors in estimation yield the same result: we get frustrated. Our motivation dwindles. We fall short of what we know is our potential.
And as I pointed out at the outset, the fix is simple: remember that less is more.
Goals: More is More
If you are serious about your goals, you need to dedicate a separate block of time for thinking about them. And during that time, resist the urge to think small. That is, think only about the what, and not about the how.
