Get Everything Done

I’d love to hear Mark’s answers, too.

I’m reminded of a technique to teach youngsters how to hit a baseball that’s set up on a post (“T-ball”). If you put an ordinary baseball on the post, the youngster typically takes a loose grip on the bat, stands casually near the tee, and takes a wobbly swing toward the ball. The bat rarely makes contact, and even when it does, the ball dribbles slowly along the ground for a few yards. Meh.

So here’s the technique. Put a soccer ball or basketball on the tee instead. Now the youngster realizes he’s got to apply some strength if he’s going to accomplish anything. The stance changes - the youngster automatically (without being told) takes more solid footing, holds the bat further back and more level, tenses up his muscles, and makes a much stronger and straighter swing with the bat. It may only knock the large ball a yard or two - but the stance and form is greatly improved.

The trick is to put the normal baseball back on the tee, and then teach the youngster to use the same form he used for the soccer ball. He gets MUCH better results, hitting the ball much more solidly and much stronger and further.

I’ve found the same effect in my own efforts, personal and work. Sometimes the task even becomes much easier. There was one important task that seemed dull and frustrating. But then I was told we needed to triple our output. At first I was devastated - how could it even be possible? I realized it would take a whole different attitude, more planning to work it into my day, more focused effort, a real effort. My stance changed. I was surprised by what I found. Not only did we MORE than triple our output, we were quickly doing it in LESS TIME than the task had taken previously, and with much better quality and much less boredom / frustration.

It kind of reminds me of what some president is known to have said - “If you are going to bother to do any thinking at all, you might as well THINK BIG. It doesn’t take any more effort than thinking small.”