Beware the tyranny of one (approach)

In productivity and anywhere in life.

Hi friend,

One of my core strengths is Individualization, which essentials means I hate cookie-cutter approaches… with a passion. Ughhhh!

Here’s something that annoys me:

Someone (let’s call them Oblivious Olive) finds an approach that works for them, becomes successful using this approach, assumes their approach will work for everyone else, writes a popular book about it (or worse, sells super-expensive expensive courses) …

➡️ all while their approach fails everyone who isn’t wired like Oblivious Olive …

➡️ and instead of rethinking things, Oblivious Olive tells these people they just weren’t trying hard enough…

➡️ which makes them feel even worse.

This is a prime example of the Tyranny of One.

Why?

All this happens because Oblivious Olive doesn’t understand a fundamental principle: different things work for different people.

It’s like assuming that my clothes are a good fit for everyone who reads this. “Heyyy, it works for me, so it should work for everyone else, too, right?”

Wrong.

When it comes to clothes, it’s obvious that we can’t assume that our solution works for everyone else. But everywhere else, it’s harder to see.

Take, for instance, all the obnoxious productivity articles about getting up at 5am. Back when I was an editor for one of Medium’s biggest publications, I got flooded with them. And they all essentially said the same damn thing. They all assumed that one approach (theirs!) would work for everyone else.

Look, I get it, you’re a morning person. Good for you! Just please don’t assume that my ideal scenario is to get work done at 5am, too. It’s not. I’ve been able to get a law degree, put a Dr. in front of my name, and work in a Big Law firm without ever working at 5am (all-nighters excluded, of course 🥱).

Assuming everyone needs to get up at 5am to be productive is an example of the Tyranny of One.

What then is the antidote to the Tyranny of One?

The antidote is to find an approach that works for you, specifically.

How to implement this insight:

• Notice when somebody uses the “Tyranny of One” approach. Most of the time, people don’t do this consciously or with bad intentions.

• Identify exactly what they say. For instance: “To be successful, you have to be on Social Media.”

• Ask yourself if what they say is true. For instance: “Do you really have to be on Social Media to be successful? Are there people who aren’t on Social Media but are successful?”

• Optional: To go deeper, you can use Byron Katie’s The Work. (This consists of asking yourself the following questions: 1. Is it true? 2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true? 3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought? 4. Who would you be without that thought?)

• Optional: Decide what you would rather believe instead. For instance: “To be successful, it helps to be yourself.”

How I can help you:

If you like being treated as the unique individual you are and could use some support crafting the life you really want, I got you covered:

• Our next Soulful Productivity Club meeting is this coming Tuesday (March 18), and we’d love for you to join us! Grab your complimentary seat here (your first call is on me).

• Want individual help? I’m also available for 1-on-1 coaching. You can find out more about this here.

Warmly,
Louise

P.S.: Our Soulful Productivity Club calls are Tuesdays at noon Eastern Time. While we only meet for 30–40 minutes, it might be a bit challenging for you to attend in the middle of your work day.

You are welcome to leave your camera off, and only participate via chat messages. There’s also a recording and meeting notes, in case you want to review something. Oh, and during weeks when we don’t have calls, you will get an accountability check-in via email.

So, we got you covered. See you on Tuesday?

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Bonus:

Oblivious Olive:

Oblivious Olive only sees one olive (approach).

Open-minded Oliver:

Open-minded Oliver is aware that there’s more than just one olive in the world.

P.P.S.: I apologize if you don’t like olives. Simply pretend they are a different type of fruit, okay? (Apparently, olives are technically fruits.)