If you are a techno-geek like me, you’ll enjoy the book The Masters of Doom
It is an entertaining look at the creators of the game software series’ Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein 3D. And as fun as it is to look at the way the team worked on building their games, there are some interesting work habits at play among the team.
One of Kushner’s quotes stuck out to me last night while I was reading
Carmack’s programming ideology: innovate, optimize, then jettison anything that gets in the way
I think it is an interesting quote to discuss.
When we talk about being more efficient in our work and more productive in our days what are we really aiming for? I think we want more free time, more job satisfaction and enjoyment of our day to day lives.
In Carmack’s philosophy, I think he brilliantly points out that as we seek to be more efficient and more productive we are not only moving toward something (i.e. efficiency), We are also moving away from people and circumstances that get in our way.
In other words, while we chasing the Holy Grail of more productivity and efficiency. Carmack suggests we seek to cut out the distractions, non-productive habits and time wasters that get in our way.
So being more productive means both seeking shorter and quicker actions as well as cutting the fat. At least at work… We don’t want to go jettisoning our children off to orphanages or ignoring our friends because they aren’t bringing in a profit.
Considering Carmack was building Doom in the early nineties, I cannot help but be impressed by how forward thinking his programming was. He knew back then that people were going to want things faster, more graphically intense and in their hands immediately. And considering today’s “want it now” culture, that’s exactly what’s happened.
When you placed an order for a book back in 1992 you had to allow four to six weeks for delivery. Now through Amazon if you’re a Kindle owner you can’t wait four to six minutes! You want it now so Carmack’s vision of speed and efficiency by cutting the fat has paid off royally for him and his company.
The million dollar question is what obstacles can you cut out of your life?
I think it would be helpful to make a list of all of the distractions – a list of all of the things that get in the way of you being your very best.
Don’t deal with the list just yet… instead just concentrate on the list. See if you can come up with 20 or 30 things that get in your way. Once you have this list, keep it handy and see if you can eliminate some of them a little at a time. But be careful, don’t spend a whole day getting rid of all obstacles that currently exist in your world. That’s just an excuse to not do your best. One or two today and one or two tomorrow and by the end of the month most of them will be gone.
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Brad,
Very interesting post. As I was reading the bit about how we often strive for more efficiency so that we will have more free time, it triggered a related thought:
Do you have a plan for your newly found free time?
In my own experience, improved efficiency in one area often leads to inefficiency in another that fills the ‘free time’ gained. A key to using the time wisely is to map out what you ultimately want your days to be like so that you are moving toward something other than a big hole in your schedule.
A perfect example of this is my father’s retirement. He didn’t have a strong idea of what he was going to do with his time and it made the transition from a lifetime of work very challenging (it was doubly difficult because he didn’t have any hobbies or ‘backburner projects’ just waiting for a little more discretionary time.)
Thanks for stirring up my brain a little. I realize that I need to do some planning for my own future schedule.
Andrew Seltz
The Go-To Guy!
http://www.GoToGuyEnterprises.com
That’s correct, you should focus only on a few key things, that bring the best results, and strive to improve these. The rest can be eliminated, or outsourced. If you don’t focus on things that are worth the most for your skills and talents, you are robbing others as well as yourself.
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