"We always have a degree of control. We can eliminate some of the stressors. Sometimes, though, we are spending our energy trying to reduce the wrong kind of friction. Not all friction is bad. Some friction—learning a skill, having a tough but needed conversation, solving a meaningful, complicated problem—is exactly where crucial growth happens. That's productive friction. That's productive friction. Psychologists call this "desirable difficulty," the kind of challenge that strengthens learning and builds capacity. It's hard, but it moves us forward."
"But here's what I've learned about doing the best we can when everything feels like too much: we always have a degree of control. We can eliminate some of the stressors. Sometimes, though, we are spending our energy trying to reduce the wrong kind of friction. The friction that burns us out is the other kind: the unnecessary resistance that drains us before we even get to real work. The best performers aren't avoiding all challenges. They're protecting their capacity for the friction that matters and builds."
Not all friction is harmful; some challenges produce growth by strengthening learning and capacity. Productive friction includes learning new skills, tackling complex problems, engaging in creative work, exercising, and processing difficult emotions or feedback. Harmful friction consists of unnecessary resistance, meaningless work, multitasking, and decision fatigue that drain energy before meaningful work begins. Effective performance requires protecting capacity for the friction that matters while eliminating avoidable stressors. Reducing bad friction often feels boring and undramatic, but doing so preserves attention and willpower for disciplined pursuit of meaningful goals and effective problem solving.
Read at Psychology Today
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