Ever say yes to something—like a board role, a volunteer opportunity, or a work project—only to find yourself totally overrun with email, meetings, travel, and curveballs that just keep on coming?
Today, I’m talking about how something called the “Diderot Effect” can help us understand time management challenges like this. Originally coined in the consumerism space, the Diderot Effect refers to the domino effect that can happen when one new purchase leads to another and another—like a new dressing gown triggering a living room makeover or a new iPhone triggering all the accessories.
When it comes to time, we do something similar. We say yes to one thing—and suddenly find ourselves buried in the cascade of responsibilities that come with it. In short, it’s the Diderot Effect of time management. And in this episode, I share how you can use this idea to:
More realistically estimate the true time cost of a new commitment
Say yes with eyes wide open—and with more informed consent
Own your decision (and ride the curveballs more steadily)
And as a corollary, reduce the curveballs in your life
Plus, I touch on the distinction between maker and manager roles, why I think a lot of this comes back to workload, and a great place to start if your days are full of firefighting.
It’s a short episode—but I think it packs a punch.
Resources mentioned:
Listen to Episode 23 for more on the maker vs. manager distinction
Thanks for being here!
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