15 Mar Constraints can make you work better
Why do some people succeed with so little, while some fail with so much? Rice University professor Scott Sonenshein, as part of a panel at September’s Behavioral Science and Policy Association Conference in Manhattan, discussed this question and his book Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less—and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined.
Sonenshein explored what he calls stretching vs. chasing. Chasers, he said, believe the quantity of resources determines success. Stretchers creatively manipulate the resources already around them. It’s a way to jujitsu scarcity—using scarcity as a license to be creative with resources, to be flexible with physical objects. Go here and here for more.
Pixar’s Ed Catmull also touts the value of constraints in his book Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces that Stand in the Way of True Inspiration.
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