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Working slower promotes deeper thinking processes and better results

We live in a fast-paced world. But sometimes working slower is better. This is called ’eufriction’. It means that a little resistance can be good. In the past, efficiency experts like Frederick Winslow Taylor thought everything had to be done as quickly as possible. But when we slow down a bit, we think more carefully about what we are doing. Just as exercising strengthens our muscles, working slower strengthens our thinking.

With eufriction, you consciously take more time. For example, when taking notes or planning something. By working calmly, you better understand what you are doing. You are not overwhelmed by too much information. You not only learn new things but also truly understand them. This way, you can actually use what you learn.

In short: when you work more calmly, you often do your work better. By not rushing, you have time to think. This not only leads to better results but also makes the work more enjoyable. You can also sustain it longer.

To get better ideas, group members first write down their own ideas

This process ensures that each individual has the chance to formulate their thoughts without influence from others. It prevents dominant group members from dominating the discussion and allows for a wide range of ideas. By first thinking individually, participants can let their creativity flow without worrying about direct criticism or judgment from others. This often leads to a greater variety and originality in the generated ideas.

After writing down their own ideas, group members come together to discuss and further develop these ideas. This joint session provides the opportunity to evaluate, combine, and refine individual ideas. The group conversation can offer new perspectives and insights that individuals may have overlooked. Additionally, the interaction between group members can lead to synergy, where collaboration results in ideas that are better than the sum of individual contributions. By following this approach, the effectiveness of idea exchange is maximized and a productive and creative group dynamic is fostered.

A little time pressure while working on your tasks helps to reduce 'attention residue'

Time pressure can have a surprisingly positive effect on our productivity, especially when it comes to reducing ‘attention residue’. Attention residue occurs when we struggle to completely let go of our thoughts from a completed task, making it harder to fully concentrate on the next task. Research has shown that when people complete a task under high time pressure, they experience less attention residue. This is because the urgency and focus associated with time pressure help us to fully direct our attention to the task and let go of it more easily after completion.

While time pressure can sometimes be stressful, it can also be a useful tool to improve our productivity. It helps us stay focused and prevents us from dwelling on thoughts about completed tasks. This means we can switch between tasks more quickly and effectively, ultimately leading to higher overall efficiency and better performance.

Messy work environments have no effect on either creativity or executive functions

On one hand, some studies suggest that messy spaces can stimulate creativity. A 2013 study from the University of Minnesota showed that people working in messy rooms were more likely to come up with creative ideas than those in tidy offices. This may mean that a chaotic environment helps to think differently and come up with new ideas.

On the other hand, there are also studies that say messy places do not affect how well you can think. Research shows that the amount of clutter in a workspace has no effect on things like planning, attention, and problem-solving. This means that, although a messy environment may promote creativity, it does not directly impact how well you think.

Ultimately, it seems that the effect of a messy workplace depends on personal preference. Some people are inspired by clutter, while others work better in a tidy space. It is important to discover which environment suits you best, as there is no clear answer to whether clutter affects creativity or cognitive ability.

When capturing information, give context by specifying why this note is important

Storing information is super important for knowledge management, but you also need to understand why you’re keeping it. By clearly writing down why your notes are important, you immediately give them context and meaning. This not only helps you remember the information better but also makes it much easier to recall why you found it important later on. Adding a simple “motive” field to your notes can really help. This ensures you pause to consider why you’re keeping something, leading to more conscious knowledge management.

Documenting your motive also helps you handle information with less stress and more focus. You become more aware of what you store and why, which improves your overall knowledge management. By using this approach, you can not only organize your notes better but also extract much more value from all the information you gather.

An increase of 10 dB noise in the workplace reduces productivity by 5%

This is because environmental noise has a significant and negative impact on cognitive tasks that require concentration. Noise pollution leads to increased mental load, making it more difficult for employees to concentrate and causing errors to occur more quickly. This effect is particularly noticeable in tasks that require a longer duration and a high level of accuracy, such as problem solving or complex calculations.

Additionally, research shows that noise pollution does not directly affect the effort of employees, but it does affect their ability to think clearly. This means that employees may not be aware of the negative impact of noise on their performance, as they are still putting in the same amount of effort. However, the quality of their work suffers, resulting in lower productivity.

A moderate level of background noise enhances creativity

Research shows that a little background noise can help you think more creatively. This is because a moderate noise level, such as 70 decibels, stimulates your brain to think in a different way. This allows you to be more creative, as you look beyond the obvious solutions and discover new ideas. It’s similar to the effect of a café or a busy street, where the constant noise distracts your thoughts just enough to flow freely without becoming overwhelming.

On the other hand, too much noise, such as 85 decibels or more, can actually be detrimental to your creativity. At this high noise level, it becomes harder to think clearly, which can reduce your creativity. It’s like trying to solve a difficult problem in a concert hall; the loud noise makes it difficult to concentrate and think clearly. Therefore, it’s important to find a balance in the noise level of your environment if you want to be creative. A little background noise can be helpful, but too much can be counterproductive.

Schedule two hours every day for important work that doesn't need to be completed immediately; this helps you become happier and more productive

By setting aside time for tasks that are not urgent but important, you create space to think strategically and work on long-term goals. This prevents you from constantly being in a reactive mode, where you’re only focused on putting out fires. It gives you the chance to be proactive and concentrate on what truly matters, ultimately leading to greater satisfaction and less stress.

Time blocking is an effective technique that can help with this. By reserving specific time blocks in your schedule for these important tasks, you protect this time from daily distractions and urgent requests that often come your way. This ensures that you consistently make progress on important projects without feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to do everything at once. Additionally, planning these blocks can help you structure your workday better and use your energy more efficiently.

Writing is the best medium for deep thinking

Writing feels like a language skill, but the real work lies in the thinking it demands. For a sentence to hold up, you first have to know exactly what you mean. A vague idea can’t be put on paper without becoming more precise, and that is why writing is hard: not because of the words, but because of the clarity it forces you to reach.

That is also why writing is not just a way to express what you already know, but a way to discover what you don’t yet understand. As you write, you are in conversation with yourself: you ask questions, spot gaps in your reasoning, and find connections you hadn’t seen. And because what you write stays, you can come back to it, revise it, and build on it. Thinking without writing comes close to merely feeling that you are thinking.

For a long time there was no shortcut: anyone who had to write a report, an essay or a proposal also had to learn to think clearly. AI has opened that shortcut. You can now get a decent text without ever going through the uncomfortable process of clarifying your ideas, and hand in clean sentences without a single thought having been sharpened along the way.

The risk, then, is not that people will write worse, but that they will think worse. Just as physical strength stopped coming for free with work and now belongs only to those who choose to train, deep thinking will increasingly belong to those who choose to keep writing for themselves.

Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right

The statement “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right” highlights the importance of your beliefs in what you can achieve. This phrase, often attributed to Henry Ford, suggests that your mindset greatly influences your success. If you believe you can do something, you are more likely to work hard and overcome challenges. This idea is similar to a growth mindset, where you believe that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and hard work.

If you think you can’t do something, it can lead to actual failure. This negative way of thinking can cause you to put in less effort, give up more easily when faced with difficulties, and be less creative in finding solutions. Research shows that how we think about things, like stress, can sometimes have more impact on our health than the stress itself.

In short, the statement emphasizes the importance of having a positive and flexible attitude. Talent and intelligence are important, but often it is our beliefs and the willingness to learn and grow that truly make the difference. By believing in ourselves, we increase the chances of success and personal growth.