14.2 Recognize that everyone has too much to do.
How to do more than we think we can is a puzzle we all struggle with. Other than working harder for longer hours, there are three ways to fix the problems: 1) having fewer things to do by prioritizing and saying no, 2) finding the right people to delegate to, and 3) improving your productivity.
Some people spend a lot of time and effort accomplishing very little while others do a lot in the same amount of time. What differentiates people who can do a lot from those who can’t is creativity, character, and wisdom. Those with more creativity invent ways to do things more effectively (for instance by finding good people, good technologies, and/or good designs). Those with more character are better able to wrestle with their challenges and demands. And those with more wisdom can maintain their equanimity by going to the higher level and looking down on themselves and their challenges to properly prioritize, realistically design, and make sensible choices.
a. Don’t get frustrated.
If nothing bad is happening to you now, wait a bit and it will. That is just reality. My approach to life is that it is what it is and the important thing is for me to figure out what to do about it and not spend time moaning about how I wish it were different. Winston Churchill hit the nail on the head when he said, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” You will come to enjoy this process of careening between success and failure because it will determine your trajectory.
It makes no sense to get frustrated when there’s so much that you can do, and when life offers so many things to savor. Your path through any problems is outlined in these principles—and in others you’ll discover yourself. There’s nothing you can’t accomplish if you think creatively and have the character to do the difficult things.
* Source: Principles by Ray Dalio