Is there such a thing as ‘too efficient’? Life Hacks by Charles Assisi

The last few weeks have felt torrid, despite doing everything right. By “right”, I mean checking off all the planned boxes and being efficient to the T. It would be evident only in hindsight that efficiency comes at a price. When in doubt, I have taken solace from the advice of the French writer Gustave Flaubert: “Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” This thinking was challenged a few weeks ago, when in conversation with a gentleman from my avatar as a business writer. After 25 years of a professional life that followed a meticulous schedule and had honed him to be an efficient machine, a voice in his head argued that something wasn’t right. The wife and kids now watch with much amusement as I fidget once in a while when watching a movie because I think it isn’t the most efficient way to use the time.