Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

by Cal Newport

Haphazard, push-based workflows might seem unavoidable for the many who are stuck in such settings, but they don’t have to be. It’s possible to reap a substantial fraction of the advantages of a more enlightened pull approach even when you lack full control over your work environment. The key is to simulate a pull-based assignment system in such a way that the people you work with don’t even realize you’re trying something new. What follows is a three-step strategy for implementing a simulated pull system as an individual without control over the habits of your colleagues or clients. Such an individualized system, of course, is not as effective as having everyone on the same page about abandoning pushes, but it’s still much better than the default response of throwing up your hands and letting work be flung toward you from all directions, sighing in frustration as your metaphorical tray of samples begins to overflow. SIMULATED PULL, PART 1: HOLDING TANK AND ACTIVE LISTS The first step in simulating a pull-based workflow is tracking all projects to which you’re currently committed on a list divided into two sections: “holding tank” and “active.” (The format used for storing this list doesn’t really matter. You can use a text file on your computer, for example, or an old-fashioned notebook: whatever you find easiest.) Recall, when I say “projects,” I mean something substantial enough to require multiple sessions to complete. (Strategies for containing smaller commitments, wh...