OPTIMIZE with Brian Johnson | More Wisdom in Less Time

In our last several +1s, we’ve been having fun hanging out with the great choreographer Twyla Tharp. We spent some time archeologically digging (in a book!) and remembering that the great ones never forget the fundamentals. (What are yours?)

In our last +1, we talked about Twyla Tharp’s thoughts on reading and thinking. Recall her comment that: “If I stopped reading, I’d stop thinking. It’s that simple.” (Amen!) Today I’d like to talk about HOW she reads.

A few +1s ago, we talked about Twyla Tharp’s Creative Habit. That led to a little dance through the minds of some pretty epically creative souls. (Thank you, Twyla, Peter and Stephen!) Today I want to come back to some wisdom from Twyla.

In our last +1, we jumped inside Stephen Covey’s big “No” waste paper basket. Right along with Peter Drucker and his. Today I want to talk about another time management wisdom gem from Covey.

In our last +1, we had fun hanging out inside Peter Drucker’s (and I quote) “VERY BIG waste paper basket.” As the great Drucker taught us, we need to be able to say “No!” to distractions if we’re going to have a shot at doing “the work the Good Lord has fitted one to do, and to do well.”

In our last +1, we talked about the super-creative plodder Peter Drucker and his response to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s invitation to participate in his research on Creativity.

In our last +1, we talked about Twyla Tharp’s great book The Creative Habit. In addition to seeing who she thinks wins the philosophical tug of war on what makes people creative (effort for the win!), we also talked about establishing our own creative habit of doing some Pre-Input Deep Work every morning.

Over the last 11 years, I’ve created (and we’ve shared) over 500 PhilosophersNotes. I currently have a stack of them on the floor next to my desk—right in the corner of my office. Actually, I have two stacks. I have a stack of all the Notes I’ve ever written on the left. And, immediately next to it on the right I have a (currently) smaller stack of the Notes I’ve recently reviewed.

In other words, what role are you here to play? What song are you here to sing? He also tells us: “Let your one delight and refreshment be to pass from one service to the community to another, with God ever in mind.”

In our last +1, we chatted about the pit crew guys I can’t seem to get out of my head. I was reminded of them yet again (!) this morning as I was reading a great little book called The World According to Mister Rogers.