The potential backside of optimal efficiency.

Several times per year, I have some kind of discussion on efficiency, optimisation and structure. Some of them revolve around how to be more efficient, and some around how the thought of optimisation is non human. I want to discuss the latter.

One thing I know about myself is that too much free time and too little structure in the form of todo-lists or calendar spots makes me stressed. Not having enough to do, or rather not knowing what will be done stresses me out far more than having to much to do, or not knowing what to do. As a result of that insight, I’ve grown quite busy at times, and I’ve also dug quite deep in to the topic of how one can make everyday life more structured.

That gave me a lot of tools, knowledge and thoughts that I’ve shared with a lot of people. What I don’t usually talk about is the backside to that efficiency, which is the loss of human spontaneity. I’ve usually adapted and become more spontaneous when I’ve fallen in love and entered relationships, but more for the creativity that space allows. It has also made my everyday a lot harder because of the need for structure.

Finding that balance has been an objective of mine for a long time, as I feel there to be a lot of upside to being able to do something of the rails, but also needing the safety of my todolist. And that’s the balance that’s often missed, which I think is a shame. We rarely need to do anything to the extremes, especially not in this case. I find very few people not wanting to have a calendar at all. And I also found myself quite lonely as I had my nose stuck in my calendar all the time.

Loneliness is what I’ve found to be the backside of the thought of optimal efficiency. Don’t look upon yourself as a robot unless you want to become one. Look upon yourself as a human being with needs, and find ways to fill those needs at the times they arise.