Simplicity Day is celebrated every year on July 12. This unofficial holiday commemorates the life, times and work of American philosopher and proponent of simple living, Henry David Thoreau.
In honor of the day, I’m reminded of Jason Fried’s latest book It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work. For many, “It’s crazy at work” has become their normal. But why so crazy? There are two primary reasons: (1) The workday is being sliced into tiny, fleeting work moments by an onslaught of physical and virtual distractions. And (2) an unhealthy obsession with growth at any cost sets towering, unrealistic expectations that stress people out.
People are working more but getting less done. It doesn’t add up—until you account for the majority of time being wasted on things that don’t matter. The answer isn’t more hours, it’s less waste. And far fewer distractions, less always-on anxiety, and avoiding stress.
Stress is passed from organization to employee, from employee to employee, and then from employee to customer. Stress never stops at the border of work, either. It bleeds into life. It infects your relationships with your friends, your family, your kids.
Click here for my summary of Fried’s It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work