July off,” or “I’m going to finish work by six o’clock every night,” it forces you to be creative in the systems you develop. You can spot inefficiencies—whether it’s a slow-running computer or an awkward scheduling system—because you can’t afford not to. And you’re compelled to ask big-picture questions: Should I be doing this task at all? Could I delegate it to someone else, or stop doing it altogether? Where should I focus my effort in order to get the biggest return? If I were starting fresh today, would I still choose to invest in this project?
