What are you optimizing for?”
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“James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, shared this question in a podcast with Tim Ferriss, and I love how it creates clarity about what’s most important to you. There’s no wrong answer, but you can’t effectively optimize for everything. Your answer reflects your priority, and lets you take appropriate actions in response.”
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“Compensation? Change jobs every two years, negotiating title and promotions at each stage, and volunteer for difficult stretch assignments. ”
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“Family? Choose a job that may not be as lucrative, but gives you the flexibility to work around your family time.”
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“Status? Get hired at a top firm in your field, and leverage their reputation.”
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“Impact? Join a startup where you can be involved in everything as the company grows. ”
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“Autonomy? Develop rare and valuable skills (Cal Newport’s phrase) so that you can set your own working conditions, or can go independent.”
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“When I heard the question on the podcast, I realized I am currently optimizing for autonomy and ease. I want a lifestyle business where I work the hours I choose, with the people I want, and have time to read and write. I choose that ease over greater compensation or prestige, because I don’t want to be stressed right now. ”
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“What are you optimizing for in your life right now? Does your answer provide clarity on what other tradeoffs you might be willing to accept to enable that optimization?”
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“#optimization #tradeoffs #choices