Ever notice how some days you accomplish almost nothing in eight hours, while other days you move mountains in half the timespan?
We’ve been conditioned to view productivity through the lens of hours rather than energy. This fundamental mistake leads to diminishing returns and burnout. The evidence suggests it’s not about time management—it’s about energy management.
Research shows our productivity doesn’t follow a linear path. We work best in focused bursts of 30-45 minutes followed by deliberate recovery periods of 15 minutes. This interval approach works because it aligns with our cognitive biology. Task-switching—attempting to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously—depletes our mental resources at an alarming rate.
When we isolate single tasks for dedicated attention, our brains enter a creative ‘flow state’ that dramatically increases output quality and quantity.
The Seven Deadly Sins of Mediocrity
Here’s a counterintuitive truth: The biggest threat to your success isn’t failure – it’s mediocrity.
We’ve been conditioned to fear dramatic flameouts, but most dreams die a much quieter death. They’re smothered by what I call the seven sins of mediocrity:
- Settling
- Pragmatism
- Complacency
- Wavering
- Timidity
- Acceptance
- Fear
These aren’t just abstract concepts. They’re psychological traps with measurable impacts on performance and satisfaction.
These sins can devolve into a self-reinforcing system. Settling makes complacency easier, which increases fear, which leads to more settling.
Breaking this cycle requires intentional effort and awareness. The difference between mediocrity and excellence isn’t talent or resources… it’s having the courage to upgrade old mindsets with new ones.
Cementing their place in the fight against environmental turmoil.
Forget flashy tech startups. My new favorite innovation comes from a cement company you’ve probably never heard of.
Brimstone Energy is tackling one of our biggest climate challenges by completely reimagining how cement is made. They didn’t just tweak the process – they fundamentally questioned why limestone had to be the primary ingredient in the first place.
This breakthrough thinking led to a revolutionary approach that makes cement carbon-negative instead of a massive carbon polluter.
What’s fascinating is how they applied their creative energy to transform an ancient, established industry rather than chasing the next shiny object. Just as Brimstone found a way to redirect industrial energy toward positive outcomes, we too, can rethink how we deploy our personal energy toward outcomes that matter.
Myth: Creativity is only needed at the top of an org.
Most organizations make a fundamental error when thinking about creativity. They assume it belongs to a select few.
When leaders reframe innovation as a distributed responsibility rather than a specialized function, they unlock what might be their most underutilized asset – the creative problem-solving potential of their entire workforce.
Micro-innovations – small, daily creative acts – offer particularly high returns and are accessible to every box on the org-chart.. They’re low-risk, emerge from contextual expertise and compound over time. Simply put, big breakthroughs often begin as little breakthroughs.
The path to becoming an innovative organization isn’t about hiring creative geniuses. It’s about building systems that allow ordinary people to express their natural creative abilities daily. The reality is that creativity functions more like a muscle than a talent. Regular use expands size and strength, while a lack of practice leads to creative atrophy.
To your creative success…
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About Josh
Josh Linkner is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, venture capital investor, professional jazz guitarist, and a globally recognized innovation expert. To learn more or to explore a collaboration, visit JoshLinkner.com
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