Rework - Jason Fried [38]
Easy. Easy is a word that’s used to describe other people’s jobs. “That should be easy for you to do, right?” But notice how rarely people describe their own tasks as easy. For you, it’s “Let me look into it”—but for others, it’s “Get it done.”
These four-letter words often pop up during debates (and also watch out for their cousins: everyone, no one, always, and never). Once uttered, they make it tough to find a solution. They box you into a corner by pitting two absolutes against each other. That’s when head-butting occurs. You squeeze out any middle ground.
And these words are especially dangerous when you string them together: “We need to add this feature now. We can’t launch without this feature. Everyone wants it. It’s only one little thing so it will be easy. You should be able to get it in there fast!” Only thirty-six words, but a hundred assumptions. That’s a recipe for disaster.
ASAP is poison
Stop saying ASAP. We get it. It’s implied. Everyone wants things done as soon as they can be done.
When you turn into one of these people who adds ASAP to the end of every request, you’re saying everything is high priority. And when everything is high priority, nothing is. (Funny how everything is a top priority until you actually have to prioritize things.)
ASAP is inflationary. It devalues any request that doesn’t say ASAP. Before you know it, the only way to get anything done is by putting the ASAP sticker on it.
Most things just don’t warrant that kind of hysteria. If a task doesn’t get done this very instant, nobody is going to die. Nobody’s going to lose their job. It won’t cost the company a ton of money. What it will do is create artificial stress, which leads to burnout and worse.
So reserve your use of emergency language for true emergencies. The kind where there are direct, measurable consequences to inaction. For everything else, chill out.
CHAPTER
CONCLUSION
Inspiration is perishable
We all have ideas. Ideas are immortal. They last forever.
What doesn’t last forever is inspiration. Inspiration is like fresh fruit or milk: It has an expiration date.
If you want to do something, you’ve got to do it now. You can’t put it on a shelf and wait two months to get around to it. You can’t just say you’ll do it later. Later, you won’t be pumped up about it anymore.
If you’re inspired on a Friday, swear off the weekend and dive into the project. When you’re high on inspiration, you can get two weeks of work done in twenty-four hours. Inspiration is a time machine in that way.
Inspiration is a magical thing, a productivity multiplier, a motivator. But it won’t wait for you. Inspiration is a now thing. If it grabs you, grab it right back and put it to work.
Thank you for reading our book
We hope it inspires you to rework how you do things. If so, drop a line to rework@37signals.com and let us know how it’s going. We look forward to hearing from you.
CHAPTER
RESOURCES
About 37signals
37signals
www.37signals.com
About 37signals and our products.
Rework site
www.37signals.com/rework
The official book site.
Signal vs. Noise
www.37signals.com/svn
Our company blog about business, design, culture, and more.
37signals video
www.37signals.com/speaks
Presentations and rants by 37signals.
Subscribe to 37signals newsletters
www.37signals.com/subscribe
Newsletter about new products, discounts, and more (sent out roughly twice a month).
Stuff we like
www.37signals.com/stuffwelike
A list of books, sites, and other things that we enjoy.
E-mail
rework@37signals.com
37signals products
Basecamp
www.basecamphq.com
Manage projects and collaborate with your team and clients.
Highrise
www.highrisehq.com
Track your contacts, leads, and deals. Always be prepared.
Backpack
www.backpackit.com
Organize and share