Einstein on the only productivity tip youll ever need to know

Einstein on the only productivity tip youll ever need to knowEinstein on the only productivity tip youll ever need to knowIn 1902, a young, depressed and solemn, 21-year-old, Albert Einstein, was on the verge of giving up on his dream of becoming a physicist.Six years prior, Einstein had enrolled in a Mathematics and Physics teaching diploma at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, Switzerland where he frequently skipped classes and spent his spare time wooing girls, whilst playing his violin at ladies luncheons and cocktail parties.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraAs a result of his devil-may-care attitude, Einsteins professors cast him aside as a lazy student destined for a mediocre career in Physics.And after graduating, Einstein couldnt get a job- in fact, he was passed over a job role as a lab assistant, and even contemplated selling insurance.After two frustrating years of job hunting, Einstein moved to Bryne, the capital of Switzerland, to work as a clerk in the Swiss patent office.Working six days a week as a patent clerk, Einstein could barely find any time to develop his scientific ideas, and would eventually give up on a career in Physics.Or would he?In March 1905, Einstein submitted a paper that challenged the general consensus that light was a wave, and instead proposed that it was a particle.Two months later in May 1905, Einstein submitted a second paper. This time he challenged widely held beliefs that atoms didnt exist, and provided proofs of their existence.But Einstein wasnt done yet.In June 1905, Einstein submitted a third paper- the granddaddy of them all.Einstein proposed the idea that time and space were the same, and formalized his thoughts as the special theory of relativity.Then, in September 1905, Einstein published a fourth paper as a follow-up to the previous one.He suggested that mass and energy were equivalent, and derived t he most famous equation in the history of mankind E=MC2.In the years to come, ansicht four papers- produced during Einsteins Miracle Year- would radically transform the way humans understand the world.And by the end of his career, Einstein would publish over 300 scientific papers, receive a Nobel Prize in Physics and firmly establish himself as one of the greatest physicists of all time.So, heres a puzzling questionHow is it possible that this failed scientist and unknown 26-year-old clerk destined for a mediocre life, could suddenly produce four groundbreaking papers within the span of a year, that would change the course of history?And whats the most important lesson on productivity and success, we can learn from Einstein?The cult of extreme productivityIf youre lonely when youre alone, youre in bad company.? Jean-Paul SartreWe live in a world that rewards busyness andthe idea of getting things done an addictive rat race to cross off as many things from your to-do list, as fast as possible.Because of this viral hype, we bury ourselves in busyness and attempt to achieve much mora than were capable of.Each day, we create unrealistic expectations torespond to every single schmelzglasin our inbox, spend quality time with our family and friends, exercise, read a book, sleep by 10 a.m. and so on.But, these superhuman attempts to get so much done and the constant bombardment of new productivity tips, hacks and gadgets, leads toprocrastination, stress, burnout and disappointment.And worse of all, the cult of extreme productivity has robbed us of the ability of enjoying our own company.Astudyconducted at the University of Virginia, discovered that participants would rather subject themselves to electric shocks, than be left alone with their thoughts.Likewise in our everyday lives, we distract ourselves with social media, emails,new goals and ideas, to avoid being alone with our thoughts.The cult of extreme productivity has sold us the lie that boredom should be avoid ed at all costs, and doing nothing at all is an unproductive strategy for lazy people.Yet, it is during moments of solitude that we can discover ingenious solutions to familiar problems and gain clarity to make better decisions.A time to do nothing but be aloneIn his book,Einstein His Life and Universe(audiobook), biographer and historian, Walter Isaacson shares Einsteins thoughts on the need for solitudeI am truly a lone traveler and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude.From his youth, Einstein had a habit of spending a lot of time away from his friends, family and work, to do nothing but think.He would regularly go for long walks, wander off to quiet cabins in the mountains, play his violin, or sail in the seas with his wooden boat to find serenity.It was during these moments of solitude that Einstein would discoveringenio us solutions to difficult problemsHe would often play his violin in his kitchen late at night, improvising melodies while he pondered complicated problems. Then, suddenly in the middle of playing, he would announce excitedly, Ive got itIronically, Einstein often lamented about the distractions of communication devices his discoveries later created.In a letter to his friend, he wrote, How conducive to thinking and working the long sea voyage is- a paradisaical state without correspondence, visits, meetings, and other inventions of the devil 5If Einstein were alive today, hed be labelled a loner in need of more social time. But, without his solitude hed never have achieved an extraordinary level of success in his lifetime.Coincidentally, throughout history, theres a theme of great thinkers- leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, writers, religious figures, artists- who regularly sought solitude to rejuvenate and refine their thoughts Leonardo Da Vinci, Martin Luther King, Nietzsche, Jesu s Christ, Nikola Tesla and Ernest Hemingway, to anthroponym a few.Likewise, practicing solitude would help to improve our productivity, creativity and decision-making in everyday life.For example, I take daily walks in a quiet park, travel without my headphones, and spend a few days in the woods once every couple of months.And I can say without a shadow of doubt, that my breakthrough ideas and clarity on crucial life decisions, have shown up during these moments of solitude.Simply block out a few minutes each day to be alone and do nothing at all.By doing so, youll tap into your inner genius and uncover the most effective ways to take action.Embrace solitudeWriting, at its best, is a lonely life.- Ernest HemingwayIn our pursuit of getting more things done, weve lost sight of the true meaning of productivity.Productivity isnt about getting more things done, rather its about getting the right things done, while doing less.The best way to figure out the right things to focus on and th e best ways to tackle them, is to spend more time alone with your thoughts and embrace solitude.And just like Einstein, youll achieve much more and unleash your potential.Mayo Oshin writes at MayoOshin.Com, where he shares the best practical ideas based on proven science and the habits of highly successful people for stress-free productivity and improved mental performance. To get these strategies to stop procrastinating, get more things by doing less and improve your focus, join his free weekly newsletter.A version of this article originally appeared at mayooshin.com as Einstein on the Only Productivity Tip Youll Ever Need to Know.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleEinstein on the only productivity tip youll ever need to knowIn 1902, a young, depressed and solemn, 21-year-old, Albert Einstein, was on the verge of giving up on his dream of becoming a physicist.Six years prior, Einstein had enrolled in a Mathematics and Physics teaching diploma at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, Switzerland where he frequently skipped classes and spent his spare time wooing girls, whilst playing his violin at ladies luncheons and cocktail parties.As a result of his devil-may-care attitude, Einsteins professors cast him aside as a lazy student destined for a mediocre career in Physics.And after graduating, Einstein couldnt get a job - in fact, he was passed over a job role as a lab assistant, and even contemplated selling insurance. 1After two frustrating years of job hunting, Einstein moved to Bryne, the capital of Switzerland, to work as a clerk in the Swiss patent office.Working six days a week as a patent clerk, Einstein could barely find any time to develop hi s scientific ideas, and would eventually give up on a career in Physics.Or would he?In March 1905, Einstein submitted a paper that challenged the general consensus that light was a wave, and instead proposed that it was a particle.Two months later in May 1905, Einstein submitted a second paper. This time he challenged widely held beliefs that atoms didnt exist, and provided proofs of their existence.But Einstein wasnt done yet.In June 1905, Einstein submitted a third paper - the granddaddy of them all.Einstein proposed the idea that time and space were the same, and formalized his thoughts as the special theory of relativity.Then, in September 1905, Einstein published a fourth paper as a follow-up to the previous one.He suggested that mass and energy were equivalent, and derived the most famous equation in the history of mankind E=MC2.In the years to come, these four papers - produced during Einsteins Miracle Year - would radically transform the way humans understand the world.An d by the end of his career, Einstein would publish over 300 scientific papers, receive a Nobel Prize in Physics and firmly establish himself as one of the greatest physicists of all time.So, heres a puzzling questionHow is it possible that this failed scientist and unknown 26-year-old clerk destined for a mediocre life, could suddenly produce four groundbreaking papers within the span of a year, that would change the course of history?And whats the most important lesson on productivity and success, we can learn from Einstein?A young Albert Einstein working as a clerk in Bern, Switzerland, 1905. Photo by Lucien Chavan, public domain.The cult of extreme productivityIf youre lonely when youre alone, youre in bad company. ?Jean-Paul SartreWe live in a world that rewards busyness andthe idea of getting things done an addictive rat race to cross off as many things from your to-do list, as fast as possible.Because of this viral hype, we bury ourselves in busyness and attempt to achieve muc h more than were capable of.Each day, we create unrealistic expectations torespond to every single emailin our inbox, spend quality time with our family and friends, exercise, read a book, sleep by 10 a.m. and so on.But, these superhuman attempts to get so much done and the constant bombardment of new productivity tips, hacks and gadgets, leads toprocrastination, stress, burnout and disappointment.And worse of all, the cult of extreme productivity has robbed us of the ability of enjoying our own company.Astudyconducted at the University of Virginia, discovered that participants would rather subject themselves to electric shocks, than be left alone with their thoughts. 2Likewise in our everyday lives, we distract ourselves with social media, emails,new goals and ideas, to avoid being alone with our thoughts.The cult of extreme productivity has sold us the lie that boredom should be avoided at all costs, and doing nothing at all is an unproductive strategy for lazy people.Yet, it is d uring moments of solitude that we can discover ingenious solutions to familiar problems and gain clarity to make better decisions.A time to do nothing but be aloneIn his book,Einstein His Life and Universe(audiobook), biographer and historian, Walter Isaacson shares Einsteins thoughts on the need for solitudeI am truly a lone traveler and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude. 3From his youth, Einstein had a habit of spending a lot of time away from his friends, family and work, to do nothing but think.He would regularly go for long walks, wander off to quiet cabins in the mountains, play his violin, or sail in the seas with his wooden boat to find serenity.It was during these moments of solitude that Einstein would discoveringenious solutions to difficult problemsHe would often play his violin in his kitchen late at night, i mprovising melodies while he pondered complicated problems. Then, suddenly in the middle of playing, he would announce excitedly, Ive got it 4Ironically, Einstein often lamented about the distractions of communication devices his discoveries later created.In a letter to his friend, he wrote, How conducive to thinking and working the long sea voyage is- a paradisaical state without correspondence, visits, meetings, and other inventions of the devil 5If Einstein were alive today, hed be labeled a loner in need of more social time. But, without his solitude hed never have achieved an extraordinary level of success in his lifetime.Coincidentally, throughout history, theres a theme of great thinkers- leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, writers, religious figures, artists- who regularly sought solitude to rejuvenate and refine their thoughts Leonardo Da Vinci, Martin Luther King, Nietzsche, Jesus Christ, Nikola Tesla and Ernest Hemingway, to name a few.Likewise, practicing solitude would help to improve our productivity, creativity and decision-making in everyday life.For example, I take daily walks in a quiet park, travel without my headphones, and spend a few days in the woods once every couple of months.And I can say without a shadow of doubt, that my breakthrough ideas and clarity on crucial life decisions, have shown up during these moments of solitude.Simply block out a few minutes each day to be alone and do nothing at all.By doing so, youll tap into your inner genius and uncover the most effective ways to take action.Embrace solitudeWriting, at its best, is a lonely life. - Ernest HemingwayIn our pursuit of getting more things done, weve lost sight of the true meaning of productivity.Productivity isnt about getting more things done, rather its about getting the right things done, while doing less.The best way to figure out the right things to focus on and the best ways to tackle them, is to spend more time alone with your thoughts and embrace solitude.And ju st like Einstein, youll achieve much more and unleash your potential.Mayo Oshin writes atMayoOshin.Com, where he shares the best practical ideas based on proven science and the habits of highly successful people for stress-free productivity and improved mental performance. To get these strategies to stop procrastinating, get more things by doing less and improve your focus,join his free weekly newsletter.A version of thisarticleoriginally appeared atmayooshin.comasThe Physics of Failure Why We Fail In Life and Work (and What to Do About It).FootnotesMichio Kaku, Physics of the Impossible (2008).Wilson et al (2014).Just think The challenges of the disengaged mind.Science (New York, N.Y.). 345. 75-7. 10.1126/science.1250830.Walter Isaacson, Einstein His Life and Universe (2007)4. Johanna Fantova, Journal of conversations with Einstein, Jan. 23, 1954, in Calaprice, 354.5. The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 19236. The period in which Einstein produced the groundbreaking papers is referred to as Einsteins miracle year. To put this in context, over the lifetime of a physicists career, publishing any two of Einsteins groundbreaking papers would have been an outstanding career, let alone producing four of them within the time period of a yearBy the age of 12 years old, Einstein also independently discovered his own original proof of the Pythagorean theorem, and by the age of 15 years old, he had mastered calculus on his own.