Embrace Constraints →

37signals:

Let limitations guide you to creative solutions

There's never enough to go around. Not enough time. Not enough money. Not enough people.

That's a good thing.

Instead of freaking out about these constraints, embrace them. Let them guide you. Constraints drive innovation and force focus. Instead of trying to remove them, use them to your advantage.

This is one of my all-time favorite posts. I read this several years ago and it's become a part of me ever since then.

For example:

  • My iPod mini wasn't big enough to fit my entire music library. So I created Smart Playlists that would slowly rotate fresh music onto my iPod mini based on my listening habits.

  • Twitter is only gives me 140 characters to express myself. So I take it as a challenge upon myself, "How creative or how much value can I provide in just 140 characters?"

  • My monitor at the office isn't big enough. So I started using OSX's Expose, Spaces, Mission Control and mastered keyboard shortcuts for quickly switching apps/tabs/windows.

Time and time again, I find myself rationalizing, "I need more, More, MORE." But when I finally take a step back and start thinking outside the box, I always find creative ways to solve the same problem.

For more different ways of thinking, check out Getting Real by 37signals.

Read: Getting Real