Efficiency Is the Enemy - Farnam Street

Being comfortable with sometimes being 0 percent busy means we think about whether we’re doing the right thing. This is in contrast to grabbing the first task we see so no one thinks we’re lazy. The expectation of “constant busyness means efficiency” creates pressure to always look occupied and keep a buffer of work on hand.

The irony is that we achieve far more in the long run when we have slack. We are more productive when we don’t try to be productive all the time.