Chapter 17
Ritual
How to Get Important Work Done
by Tony Schwartz
Most of us feel pulled in more directions than ever, expected to work longer hours, and asked to get more done, often with fewer resources. But we also know people who get lots done, including the important stuff, and still manage to have lives.
What have they figured out that the rest of us haven’t?
The answer, surprisingly, isn’t that they have more will or discipline than we do. The counterintuitive secret to getting things done is to make them more automatic, so they require less energy.
How do we do that? By developing rituals—highly specific behaviors, done at precise times, so they eventually become automatic and no longer require conscious will or discipline. Decide what ...
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