I am sure I am not the only person who would like to do more with his/her time. It is important to take the time we have and use it well. This was my mindset as I read Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg. Duhigg engages eight topics of productivity: motivation, teams, focus, goal-setting, managing others, decision-making, innovation, and absorbing data.
What I love about Duhigg’s writing is that he ties each topic together through stories. Both of the books I have read by him have been compelling and thought-provoking. Each chapter highlights an aspect or area of productivity, points to needed improvement, and gives us a story where that issue was sorted out. It provides a smooth and fun reading experience.
All of the chapters were well written, but my favorites were focus, goal-setting, and absorbing data. Focus was excellent, because it reminded me that a lack of critical thinking can have severe consequences. This is especially helpful after just reading a book about building habits. Those habits have the ability to transform certain areas of life, but they are not foolproof. Building mental models and knowing what to expect in each situation is essential to keep yourself focused in the most pressure filled moments. When something goes wrong according to your mental model, you will be alerted to possible adjustments or variances in that situation.
Goal-setting pointed out that all goals are not created equal. Set some audacious goals for yourself and go out and meet them! At the same time, make sure that those goals are specific, measurable, achievable, and realistic, while having a laid out timeline (or SMART).
Absorbing data was probably my favorite, but that could just be recency bias. Duhigg discussed how data is only valuable if someone knows what to do with it. The chapter gave examples of how data can be used and how it can clearly be valuable. It made me want to do a bunch of experiments and data-mining. So, if I am asking you a bunch of weird questions next time we talk, that’s why.
Smarter Faster Better gets a 4/5 for me. Like I mentioned above, I love how he writes and I loved the information too. I am already planning how I can be smarter, faster, and better in the future.