The Bike Shed Effect: Why We Obsess Over Small Issues & Neglect Important Ones
Shane Parrish shares how to stop wasting time on things that don’t matter
The best way to get ahead is to spend as much time as possible on meaningful problems.
But if we examine our lives closer, we might find ourselves doing the opposite and spending too much time on minor issues.
Many call this the bike shed effect.
“Bikeshedding is a metaphor to illustrate the strange tendency we have to spend excessive time on trivial matters, often glossing over important ones.” — Shane Parrish
The simpler a topic is, like how to build a bike shed, the more time and attention it gets over a complex (but more important) matter, like how to grow your career.
Significant problems don’t get as much attention as minor ones because we’re more knowledgeable and comfortable with the latter.
But the more time we spend on trivial issues, the more we fall behind on our goals that matter.
Here are 3 ways to avoid bike-shedding and spend more time tackling important problems:
1) Specify your topic
Significant problems are complex and overwhelming.
We need to narrow their scope and focus on turning them into manageable and more straightforward problems.
“How to grow my career” is broad, confusing, and intimidating.
“How to land a Senior Product Manager role at a health tech company” is narrow, specific, and achievable.
“Specificity is a crucial ingredient.” — Priya Parker
2) Consult fewer people
When we don’t know enough, we default to seeking as much guidance as possible from friends and family.
But too many cooks in the kitchen encourage more bike-shedding to occur.
Instead, consult fewer people with informed opinions and relevant expertise.
The quality of opinions is more potent than the quantity of opinions.
3) Set boundaries
Set constraints for higher-quality decisions and faster feedback loops.
Create urgency to foster momentum and actionable steps toward your complex problem.
For example, instead of asking, “How can I have $50,000 in my savings?” set a time constraint so it becomes “How can I save $50,000 in the next two years?”
Constraints drive urgency.
Urgency drives momentum.
Momentum drives action.
Action drives progress.
The more time we spend on meaningful problems, our life becomes meaningful.
When you find yourself glossing over an important topic in favor of a trivial one, remember to specify the subject, consult fewer people, and set boundaries.
Real progress lies on the other side of difficult questions.
You can read Shane Parrish’s original article here.
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