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I’m a big fan of productivity bursts. Like choosing a task that will take 10 or 12 hoursa task you’ve long been putting off specifically because it will take 10 or 12 hoursand knocking it out in a single day. (Here are the eight steps to an incredibly productive day.) I’m also a big fan of using shorter bursts within a day. Generally speaking, a person can focus on any given task for only 90 to 120 minutes. After that, typically you need a 15- to 20-minute break to recharge and achieve high performance on your next task. (The Pomodoro Technique uses even shorter bursts: 25 minutes of work, five-minute break.) In so many words, productivity sprints are great. But they do not a work life make. Over the course of a month, much less a year, how much you get done on a consistent basis matters a lot more than what you can pull off for short bursts. For example, Stephen King, the best-selling author of nearly 70 books, doesn’t write a book in three or four hard-core weeks. For decades, he wrote for five or six hours a day, shooting for 2,000 words a day. These days, he works for four hours with a goal of 1,000 words. (That pace is still more than most authors manage, and King is 77 years old.) For Kingand for youendurance matters more than speed. More to the point, durability matters more than speed. Top Speed Versus Sustained Pace Imagine you’re a factory worker. You start the day full blast, producing 80 widgets the first hour. No other worker can match your speed; you’re the Usain Bolt of piecework. But then you start to fade. You manage 75 widgets the next hour, 70 the next. By midafternoon you’re down to 50. Over an eight-hour shift, you manage 505 widgets. The person next to you never managed to make more than 70 widgets in an hour, but because she kept that pace for her entire shift, she made 560 widgets. Sound a little too tortoise versus hare? Not really. As writer Brady Holmer notes in a recent Substack post, durability is not about how fast you can go when you’re fresh. Durability is about how little you slow down when fatigued. Bolt may have been fasterat an absolute speedthan everyone else, but he also could have slowed down the least. That’s especially true as race distances get longer. The 400-meter hurdle world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, may not be faster at top speed than everyone else. But she clearly slows down less over the course of a race. Why does that matter to you? Because your workday isn’t a sprint. Your work year isn’t a sprint. Workyour efficiency, effectiveness, productivity, outputis an endurance race. One where your ability to maintain a steady, consistent pace makes an exponentially greater difference than your ability (valuable though it may be) to occasionally crank out a chunk of work. The Big Three of Sustainable Output Let’s extend the running analogy a bit more. Most runners focus on the primary factors of endurance performance: running economy, lactate threshold, and VO max. Running economy is just what it sounds like: how efficiently your body uses energy to maintain a given pace. Biomechanics, coordination, strength, flexibility, and other factors all play a role. In work terms, less wasted effort, less unnecessary repetition, working smarter, not harder. (Although I’m a fan of working smarter as well as harder.) Lactate threshold is the highest intensity or pace at which your body can clear lactate from your blood as quickly as it’s produced. Go past your threshold and lactate builds up, fatigue kicks in, and performance drops. VO max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. The higher your VO max, the more oxygen your muscles get, which in exercise terms means you can run, bike, swim, etc. faster and longer. Here’s where it gets interesting. A new study published in Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that runners who maintained a steady pace for 90 minutes experienced a 3% drop in their VO max, and a 7% drop after 120 minutes. Turns out VO max isn’t absolute; it changes with effort. So do other endurance factors. Work too hard for too long and your ability to keep performing at that level decreasesregardless of willpower, persistence, and determination. The cost on your bodyand, in workplace terms, on your mindof maintaining a fast early pace gets higher and higher until holding that pace becomes impossible. No matter how hard you try to keep grinding. That’s takeaway No. 1: Your pace, over the course of a day or week or month or year, needs to be sustainable. No matter how fast the start, producing a steady 70 widgets an hour over an eight-hour shift beats a reverse hockey-stick 63 widgets an hour. But you can also ramp up your steady, sustainable pace. Self-imposed limits Working economyhow efficiently you perform certain tasksis relatively easy to improve. (Here are 90 ways.) The less effort a task requires, the less hard you have to work, and as a result, the easier you can maintain a steady pace. Where improving productivity and overall output are concerned, streamlining and optimizing should always be the first steps. Then focus on your “lactate threshold” and “VO max.” Unless a solid chunk of manual labor is involved, your job likely doesn’t involve a high degree of physical fatigue. But every job involves mental fatigue. And every job feels like it has limits. You can only do so much until you can’t do more. Except you can. The 40% Rule is a concept popularized by former Navy SEAL Dave Goggins through entrepreneur Jesse Itzlers 2016 book Living With a Seal: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet: When your mind tells you that youre exhausted, youre really only 40% done. You still have 60% left in your tank. In short, you have more in you than you think. When youre doing something difficult and think you need to stop, you have more in you. Most of our limits are self-imposed. Over time, we’ve set those limits for ourselves. They don’t come close to lactate threshold, much less VO max. That doesn’t mean you need to squeeze out the remaining 60%. But you could try to eke out another 5%. The 40% Rule How long you’ll stick with a challenge before giving up and moving on? That’s not really a limit. How long you’ll stare at a whiteboard, trying to think of a way past a problem, before giving up and moving on? That’s not really a limit. How many calls you’ll make, emails you’ll send, proposals you’ll create, follow-ups you’ll make? Those limits only seem real. But they arent real. They’re just habits. Think of a time when fear helped you push past what you thought was a barrier. Think about a time when a huge incentive helped you push past what you thought was a barrier. Then, you could do more. Because it turns out your limit was only 40% of what you were truly capable of achieving. The next time you think youve reached your cold-call limit, make one more. The next time you think youve reached your employee development meeting limit, conduct one more. The next time you think youve reached your quality double-check limit, check one more order. Challenge yourself to see if you can endure just a little more. Youll find out you can. What’s more, youll realize that a limit you thought was absolute was only self-imposedand that you can accomplish a lot more than you once thought possible. Over a really long period of time. Without burning out. By Jeff Haden This article originally appeared on Fast Company‘s sister publication, Inc. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
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If this week had a mood, it would be change is comingready or not. Across industries, big players made moves they hope will future-proof their businesses, while others scrambled to adapt to new realities. Tech leaders leaned into bold experiments, retailers weighed expansion against contraction, and the markets reacted with their usual mix of enthusiasm and side-eye. Policy shifts sent ripple effects through sectors that depend on global talent and international travel. In the corporate world, some companies are making high-stakes bets on emerging technologies, while others are dealing with leadership shake-ups, financial pressures, or both. And in between the serious boardroom decisions and billion-dollar strategies, there were moments that reminded us how unpredictableand occasionally absurdthe business landscape can be. Wells Fargo goes all in on AI with Google Cloud Wells Fargo is rolling out Googles Agentspace AI across its workforcefrom branch tellers to top executives. The bank says the tech will help speed up workflows, automate routine tasks, and deliver sharper insights, all while staying within strict compliance and ethical guidelines. Trump crackdown pushes international students toward the U.K. and Asia Stricter U.S. visa policies and heightened scrutiny are driving prospective students to universities in Britain, Hong Kong, and beyond, potentially costing the U.S. billions in tuition and local spending. Crypto exchange Bullish preps IPO despite steep losses Bullish plans to raise up to $629 million in its NYSE debut. Backed by BlackRock and ARK, the listing tests whether investor enthusiasm for crypto can outpace concerns about a $348 million quarterly loss. T.J. Maxx is opening 6 new stores this month The off-price retailer is expanding in Virginia, Connecticut, North Dakota, Utah, and Washington, D.C., even as tariffs loom over the retail sector. The news comes a little over a year after CEO Ernie Herrman announced the companys goal of adding 1,300 stores to its global portfolio of locations during a quarterly earnings call. At Home to close more stores amid bankruptcy The home furnishings chain announced this week that it will shutter six additional locations, on top of 26 announced earlier, as it works to manage $2 billion in debt under Chapter 11 protection. U.S. to require $15,000 visa bond for some travelers A one-year pilot program will mandate refundable bonds for visitors from countries with high overstay rates or limited vetting processes. On Tuesday, a notice from the State Department said travelers from Malawi and Zambia would be required to post the bonds. Other countries could be added to the list in the future. Claires files for second bankruptcy, eyes store closures Claire’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a second time this week. The teen and tween retailer has identified 18 stores for likely closure, with more than 1,300 at risk unless a buyer emerges. Eli Lilly outpaces Novo Nordisk in weight-loss marketbut stock dips Mounjaro and Zepbound sales are surging, yet investors were underwhelmed by trial data for Lillys oral GLP-1 pill. Hulu brand to fold into Disney+ in 2025 Say goodbye to Hulu. Disney announced this week that it will merge Hulu content into its flagship streaming app, streamlining offerings ahead of its ESPN streaming launch. Duolingos “AI first” gamble pays off Despite backlash over replacing contractors with AI, the language-learning platform posted an 84% profit growth and a 24% stock surge. Trump calls for Intel CEOs resignation over China ties President Trump criticized Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tans past investments in Chinese chip companies, intensifying political scrutiny of Intels leadership.
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Gary Chapman, long-time marriage counselor and author of The Five Love Languages, created the love languages model when he realized that romantic partners were expressing love in ways that were unnoticeable or unintuitive to the other. The change languages model offers a similar solution for addressing this same dynamic of miscommunication, but as it shows up in the relational, layered, and systemic work of change. A ‘MULTILINGUAL’ SOLUTION TO CHALLENGES WITH CHANGE Over the course of a year, I served as a member of a nonprofits strategic planning committee whose meetings were not unlike what I imagine some of Gary Chapmans marriage counseling sessions to be: confusing and dizzying at best, tense and threatening at worst. At first glance, this friction made no sense: outside of meetings, we had strong rapport, and we were all explicitly and thoroughly excited about the organizational change that this committee was tasked with realizing. But despite our shared commitment to the prospect of change, we struggled to talk about change in our meetings in ways that were mutually understood among the members: we couldnt carry the different needs and priorities that change surfaces. While on that strategic planning committee, I began building out the idea of extrapolating love languages into the domain of change. Similar to how Chapman drew connections across his counseling sessions, I drew connections across change efforts that had faltered or been miscommunicated during my 10-plus years in different roles: classroom teacher, professional development coach, nonprofit board member, union organizer, and organizational consultant. Each role and team always focused on organizational growth and transformation. After being pressure tested in real-world scenarios with clients and colleagues, the change languages were then put in tune to the insights of change-focused thinkers including Lisa Laskow Lahey and Robert Kegan (Immunity to Change), Adrienne Maree Brown (Emergent Strategy), and Damon Centola (Change: How to Make Big Things Happen). THE SIX CHANGE LANGUAGES The following definitions are intended not only to differentiate the six change languages, but also to help you identify which of the six resonate the most. Knowing which change language(s) you prefer to speak is prerequisite to noticing which of the six change languages are being spoken by other people. Big-picture clarity How we are at the small scale is how we are at the large scale. What we practice at the small scale sets the patterns for the whole system. Adrienne Maree Brown, Emergent Strategy If your change language is big-picture clarity, you feel grounded when you know where and how change is heading from the high-level perspective of systems, as well as when you can foresee how youll fit within and interact with these changing systems. When making sense of change, you feel compelled to map out a wide perspective on the situationclarifying intended or potential systemic outcomes, selecting the change management models that align most with your current situation, and perhaps even considering how your experience of change fits within broader political, international, and environmental contexts. Personal security It is not change that causes anxiety; it is the feeling that we are without defenses in the presence of what we see as danger that causes anxiety. Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey, Immunity to Change If your change language is personal security, your own well-beingand the well-being of othersare front of mind. You make sure that no one is left on their own to navigate the consequences of change. When making sense of change, you are driven by the fundamental question, After all is said and done, who is and isnt going to be okay? Youll figure out how change might impact your workload, positionality, pursuit of professional goals, and even baseline employability. You have a strong preference for changes that minimize personal risk. Values alignment Dont ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Howard Thurman If your change language is values alignment, you feel most open to change when you and your team care about the same principles and are moving toward something you all believe in. Your inner senses of morality and purpose rationalize your negotiations with change. When making sense of change, you figure out how change can bolster (or interfere with) your, your teams, and your organizations pursuit of the mission at hand. (In fact, you probably have your orgs mission and/or vision statements bookmarked for frequent reference.) To you, change isnt worth pursuing if it isnt evidently aligned with your cause. Sense of continuity The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order. Alfred North Whitehead, Process and Reality If your change language is sense of continuity, you feel stabilized when present and future endeavors are clearly connected to past efforts. You prefer a sense of progress that builds on that past, rather than resets from it. When making sense of change, you listen to confirm that essential elements of the past will show up or matter in some recognizable future form. For example, if a team moves client meetings from an in-person to virtual format, you might want the same staff to be involved (for role preservation) or the tone of the interaction to stay consistent (for social-emotional familiarity). Otherwise, youll likely lose your bearings in the newness. Careful timing Both common sense and scientific evidence agree: repetition is a form of change. James Clear, Atomic Habits If your love language is careful timing, you feel most capable when change moves at the pace of trust and readiness: not too fast, not too slow, with space for inevitable relapses, mistakes, and misunderstandings. When making sense of change, even if you resonate with the rationale for implementing a particular change initiative, you might not hop fully onboard until you see a timeline for rolling out that initiative. You want to see change broken up into phases, each one providing time for you to absorb, mess up, learn, adjust, and eventually become ready to move onto the next phase. Fast-paced overhauls are one of your worst professional nightmares. Celebrating growth We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty. Maya Angelou If you speak the language of celebrating growth, you feel resilient when progress is affirmed, feedback is given compassionately, and making transformation feels joyful. You dont want change to feel like a chore or task, but rater a source of fulfillment and satisfaction. When making sense of change, you prefer to have a sense of what will likely signal that change is moving in the right direction, so that you can be on the lookout for those signals. When you are in the thick of change, you seek tasks that you want to do, rather than need to do, as well as encouragement that honors your effort, not just your output. When change isnt enjoyable or imaginative, you feel dramatically less committed. What I’m tryoing to say is Change languages stand to benefit all areas of organizational change, from project management, to leadership development, to conflict resolution. They help us move through change relationallyrather than alone, undignified, or confused. Instead of resisting the fact that different people inevitably become attached to different aspects of change, we can embrace these differences with clarity, and therefore strengthen our chances of arriving somewhere more grounded, more aligned, and ultimately more fulfilled than where we started.
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