Hey friends,

The weekend is here! Greetings with another early email as we're off to the Catalina Islands (with 500 dads and kids under the age of 9). Yes, send prayers. I recently learned about The Law of Triviality (aka Bike-shedding) and coudn't resist with today's essay.

We're also super excited to launch the next cohort of Supercharge Your Productivity. It's our 10th Cohort and nearly 600 students have used the course to design a system to achieve your goals (while working wayyyy less).

In 8 live events (over 4 weeks) you'll learn how to:

• Stay focused on the most important things in life
• Think bigger (versus making smaller things better)
• Stop putting things off until some imaginary future date
• Invest in improving your mind, career and relationships

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Plus, as an early-bird you’ll receive our two most popular courses (a bonus valued at $498): The GTD Power-Pack and The Fulfilling Path to Financial Independence. But don't take it from us, here's what one of our alums (@seanstews) had to say:

When trivial tasks ruin your day

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Let's paint a picture of your morning.

You wake up. Open one eye. Then the other.

Start the timer.

How many seconds until you grab your phone?

The data ain't pretty. 31% of workers under age 40 are on their work email - within less than a minute of waking up. (Per research from Superhuman.)

But that's being generous. I posed the question to my fellow RadReaders and here's what you said:

"I usually still have one eye closed."

"I picked up my phone about 9 seconds after waking up and started playing chess in bed."

"Before I’ve opened my eyes fully since it’s my alarm clock."

And kudos to the person who just replied:

"Wordle."

Now the average response was between 1 and 60 seconds. But when it comes to digital hygiene, here's something wild. This is far from the most egregious behavior.

What's the most egregious?

Hint: It involves email.

It involves folders.

And it involves putting said emails into said folders.

Here's RadReader Adam Grant summarizing the findings of a research paper titled Am I wasting my time organizing email?​

The answer is a resounding yes. Organizing emails into folders takes on average 67 hours a year. And makes it harder to find your messages.

Yet why do we invest 67 hours in organizing our email? The Law of triviality.

Aka Bike-shedding.

Here are this week's top reads:

// one

A framework for leaving a high-profile trading job

8 minutes | Moontower Weekly
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Imagine having spent your entire career getting good at one very specific skill: Trading Options. You’ve done well. Well enough to take a break. Definitely not enough money to call it a day. Your kids are in the magical window (5 and 8). How do you step off the treadmill? My friend Kris has been chronicling his own pivot in an open and honest way. He’s a treasure trove of wisdom and transparency on changing careers (and Kris’ newsletter is one of my absolute faves).

Kris @KrisAbdelmessih Before I quit trading, I framed the decision: I'm 43 yrs old. I can stay, make more $$, racing for 10 more years. Or I can leave now, while I have energy, reasonable health and less ageism against me to work towards something that I'm not in a race to get over. cont... April 13th 2022 132 Retweets 2,066 Likes

→ Read the post​

// two

Managing People

6 minutes | Andreas Klinger
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Re-entering the role of “manager,” I’ve been on the hunt for how things have changed in the past decade. A big one is the role of surfacing out unspoken norms, making expectations explicit, avoiding “drive by management” and remembering that “as a manager, everything is your fault.”

→ Read the post​

// three

To retain employees, support their passions outside work

7 minutes | Harvard Business Review

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Dedicating your whole life to work? That’s sooooooo five years ago. With more and more people quitting, employers are looking for creative ways to retain their top talent. An under-rated idea? Support employees passions that have nothing to do with work. (Yup, super atelic.) How? Work with employees to create flexibility, lead by example, encourage passion sharing among employees, and put money behind supporting passion projects.

→ Read the article​

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// four

Empty your inbox with the trusted trio

4 minutes | Life Hacker
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Email - it’s the one thing that stresses RadReaders out even more than their to-do list. Here’s how to set up a simple folder system to get a hold of your overflowing inbox. It’s a great first step to reducing overwhelm (though inbox zero ain’t it).

→ Read the post​

// five

Why the past 10 years of American life have been uniquely stupid

24 minutes | The Atlantic
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I always make the time to read anything by Jonathan Haidt, especially if it involves the role of social media in our cultural fabric. Here, he says that Haidt argues the “warped accountability” of social media has brought us injustice and political dysfunction — social media gives power to trolls and political extremists while silencing good citizens and the moderate majority. In the twentieth century, America built incredible knowledge-producing institutions and, in the past decade, we broke many of them down. While we can’t put that genie back into the bottle here are some changes he recommends: harden democratic institutions, reform social media, and adequately prepare the next generation.

→ Read the article​

// from our community

My go-to source for burnout-free productivity is Anne-Laure Le Cunff and her Maker Mind newsletter. She's a long-time RadReader and every Thursday shares science-based tips to help you achieve more without sacrificing your mental health. Sign up here to receive weekly tips to boost your productivity, your creativity, and your well-being at work or in your business

Below the fold
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LAST WEEK'S MOST READ

• ​The sinister side of productivity (RadReads, 523 clicks)
• ​58 things I’d say to my 21-year-old self about money (Medium, 473 clicks)

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And finally, with a new album in the wings, here's why Kendrick is the GOAT.

With gratitude,

Khe

PS Learn how to get more done by working smarter (in 4 short weeks). Enroll in cohort 10 of Supercharge Your Productivity and secure $498 in bonuses.

PPS Did someone rad forward this to you? Subscribe here.

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