Start to deal with it by putting a Wedge between what comes to mind and anything we do about it.įunt reveals to us in A Minute to Think the core issues that invite the busyness into our lives and then provides us with practical applications to defeat them.

The kind of urgency that we manufacture and causes us to “constantly and thoughtlessly interrupt our colleagues” and the kind of urgency that others place on us. She also goes into using the Wedge to deal with the mirage of hallucinated urgency. Information – when it turns into overload – needs to hear: What do I truly need to know?Īctivity – when it turns into frenzy – needs to quiet its flailing long enough to hear: What deserves my attention? You deal with these excess use of these strengths by asking the following Simplification Questions:ĭrive – when it turns into overdrive – needs to hear: Is there anything I can let go of?Įxcellence – when it turns into perfectionism – needs to hear: Where is “good enough,” good enough?

We impulsively grab the next to-do on our list because we feel we should always be active. We go too deep into dashboards and data because we want to be informed. We overtweak a presentation because we want to be excellent. We mindlessly accept a meeting invite because we are driven.

Despite being positive and helpful to us in their basic nature, these forces are also the biggest reason white space withers.” When taken to extremes, they reduce our effectiveness. “Four key drivers propel companies, teams, and human beings at work: Drive, Excellence, Information, and Activity. What keeps us from doing this are the Thieves of Time. It’s used specifically to pry apart actions or events that without it would have been connected.” “The Wedge is a small portion of white space inserted between two activities. When you can’t take long stretched of pen thinking time, Funt uses what she calls the Wedge. Juliet Funt writes in A Minute to Think, “without space, we can’t sustain ourselves.” It is the missing element in our lives, and we need to get it back.įunt suggests that first, we need to take strategic pauses to recuperate, reduce, reflect, and construct. We need it for better relationships, mental health, and better productivity. WE ALL NEED white space – open, unassigned time.

Reflection eternal train of thought zip