Every task that is interesting, meaningful and well-defined will be done, because there is no conflict between long- and short-term interests.
Having a meaningful and well-defined task beats willpower every time. Not having willpower, but not having to use willpower indicates that you set yourself up for success […] because there is no conflict between long- and short-term interests.
Ideas contrarian to inflexible, structured plans:
How do you plan for insight, which, by definition, cannot be anticipated? […] We do not want to make ourselves dependent on a plan that is threatened by the unexpected, like a new idea, discovery – or insight.
— Sönke Ahrens
Insight cannot be anticipated or pre-defined, and work that depends on insight (like studies, research and writing) must have structures, or rather, ecosystems that are open to changing course to follow the path toward insight.
It is in the nature of writing, especially insight-oriented writing, that questions change, the material we work with turns out to be very different from the one imagined or that new ideas emerge
On well-defined tasks:
Having a clear, tangible purpose when you attend a lecture, discussion or seminar will make you more engaged and sharpen your focus. You will not waste your time with the attempt to figure out what you “should” learn. Sönke Ahrens
What actually delivers task completion:
- Hard work made fun because it is aligned with our intrinsic goals and makes us feel in control.
- Having interesting, meaningful and well-defined goals in every step of the process.
- Having the right ecosystem to deliver the results we want.
- “An environment that is flexible enough to accommodate our work rhythm.” (Sönke Ahrens)
Studies on highly successful people have proven again and again that success is not the result of strong willpower and the ability to overcome resistance, but rather the result of smart working environments that avoid resistance in the first place (cf. Neal et al. 2012; Painter et al. 2002; Hearn et al. 1998)