Inaction Paradox

What happens when you spend a lot of time doing nothing?

You become incredibly efficient at doing only the most meaningful and valuable work.

This paradox of time is a perfect example of Newtonian physics: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

By doing more of nothing, you cultivate an innate capacity to identify the most seismic-shifting work. Almost everything falls immediately into the unnecessary category. Urgency loses most of its sheen. All that’s left is picking the utmost meaningful from the important.

In other words, you learn to say “No” to a lot of things, people, and work.

It’s the same 24 hours for each one of us. Yet very few discover presence. Most are sandwiched in the service of time and demands, and the unfortunate remaining are busy being busy.

This counterintuitive thinking defines the Inaction Paradox: where doing less doesn’t delay progress, but instead sharpens and directs it.

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