The 2020’s have become the age of over-optimization for everything. While I respect people’s need for maximum efficiency, it’s quite possible to go too far. I’ve seen this be especially true in digital marketing, when people bow to the almighty search engine results to get new leads… only to be entirely unable to handle the influx of new traffic and queries.
So, then, how much optimization is enough? Some people say you can’t optimize too much for anything. Every second you can save in your life adds up, they say. While I agree this sounds good on paper, there is such a thing as taking routing your entire life down to the split-second much too far.
I wrote at length in the past about how much SEO is really enough. I entirely agree with what Neil Patel wrote about how too much SEO is bad for your SEO. Of course, many people won’t even touch optimizing their content for search engines. But many people will create down-to-the-minute routines for their daily lives, leaving no room for nuance, or worse yet, the unexpected.
Unlike in video games, where speed-runners do nothing but optimize every little bit of movement and routing, you can’t really do this in real life. There’s no reset button. There’s no undo option. Even while I’ve certainly organized and optimized my life quite intensely in recent years, it’s totally geared towards my own thought processes and habits.
Yet, so many people go overboard in thinking that if they wear the same thing or eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, that it saves on decision trees, ultimately rewarding you with precious extra minutes to put towards something else.
But, there are many dangers to over-optimization. You have to consider that by optimizing your life too much, you actually open up the possibility of taking on far too many activities or responsibilities. I watch people who over-optimize often take themselves and what they really want entirely out of the equation as a sacrifice to the efficiency gods. These people end up stretching themselves too thin.
Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
I’d like to share a story of someone who optimized his company website so well, he took on far too many leads. Yes, it’s possible to over-commit to a content strategy. Even if the leads flow in like honey, that new traffic doesn’t always help your business.
It’s an interesting story of how one CEO cut ties with an SEO firm and decided to do the SEO himself instead. At first, it seems he did wonderfully on his own, as his website traffic boomed. So, did the amount of incoming leads. However, he became so addicted to his success that the rest of his business suffered as a result.
His company’s customer service badly declined because of the lack of ability to handle all of the incoming contacts. In response to the emerging issues in his business, he took down about 150 pages off of his website. This action cut the amount of incoming leads in half. After rededicating himself and his company to customer service, so they could focus more effectively on the leads they received, they righted the ship.
In this case, the CEO learned that you must put customer service first before bringing in new business. While all of those leads are potential customers, his company got so many to respond to that the actual customers got a lesser service as a result.
For those of us who aren’t in business for ourselves and don’t have websites, though, this experience still serves to prove a point. Over-optimization can lead to biting off way more than you can chew. It shouldn’t discourage you from doing optimization at all, but you need to take a step back and know your priorities. You should always prioritize your health, your loved ones, and your primary job before all else, with everything else being secondary.
Running Into the Unexpected
Earlier I mentioned how people optimize their lives by only eating and/or wearing the same thing everyday. In the case of food, I can tell you from experience that one day, you won’t be able to eat your favorite food anymore because of some new ingredient that you’re allergic to, or the company making it goes out of business. Even if you can find a similar alternative, it’s still different. The change still throws a wrench into your daily routine.
Also, what if you have an unexpected illness? What if there’s a death in the family? What if your company suddenly goes out of business? If you over-optimize too much, you leave no room for life to happen. Not only does this make you look selfish, but suddenly your whole optimization process has to go out the window and readjust for whatever changes then become necessary.
So, how do you optimize your life without over-optimizing? When I wrote in the past about avoiding SEO over-optimization, I came up with these ABC’s: Authenticity, Being Ready, and Customer Service. For our purposes here, I’ve changed the Customer Service section to Competence. You’ll see why in a moment why I made that shift.
The ABC’s of Avoiding Over-Optimization
First, Authenticity. The number one thing to consider when you’re optimizing your workflow or schedule is to be true to not just your goals and needs, but also your hopes and dreams. Don’t simply go overboard to make yourself live up to some unrealistic expectations set by life coaches and “self-help experts”. It’s much more important to be personal, find what works for you, and refine your process a little bit at a time. Don’t make wholesale changes to your life all at once; make changes gradually.
Next, Balance. Your time is a valuable natural resource, not a commodity to be bartered and traded like stock. Don’t let anyone else tell you the value of your time and how to use it. While obviously you want to get the most out of every minute of your life, it’s quite possible to become overzealous. When you add or remove things to your schedule, ask yourself what value that activity has for you personally, not what other people say it should be worth to you.
While being aggressive with your career, hobbies, or other endeavors can be the right thing to do, you must be at least somewhat certain that you’re ready for the investment of time and energy these things will require. My strategy has been to pour all of my excess energy into my writing, but never let my work interfere with my wife and I’s relationship, or keeping tabs on my energy level and physical health.
In some cases, you may be able to grow with ramping up in certain aspects of your life while sunsetting or deprioritizing others. But, take your time and do every thing in measured steps. It takes time to build up your stamina — physically, mentally, and emotionally — while also still being the friend, family member, and partner as well as you have been in the past.
Lastly, Competence. Even if you’re not in the customer service business, every thing in our world has to do with competence. You have to be ready and able to handle what you’re taking on while still giving the people in your life and your other responsibilities the same attention that they expect and deserve. Of course, there are considerations that you can make to get extra help if the need arises.
In any case, if you can’t do something competently because something else is taking away your energy or focus, it means you have to cut something out of your life. There is only one of you and only twenty-four hours in a day. Also, in order to not burn yourself out, you should always build in breaks — meaningful breaks, not just five minutes here and there. Different people need different types and frequencies of breaks, and you need to figure out what your personal break needs are so that you can maintain your focus and competence.
Final Takeaways
It’s important to put out your best effort as often as you can, but always be authentic and also be wary of going overboard. If you’re careful with your time management strategy and focus only on what actually serves you and your loved ones best, chances are you’ll be okay. Just don’t go looking for things to optimize simply for the sake of doing so.
As with anything, moderate yourself and don’t jam up your schedule. When I was doing SEO for a living as part of my digital marketing jobs, that aspect of marketing took over my life. It took me years to recognize that search engine traffic and leads aren’t everything. You also have to take time to research and write great content, as well as servicing those people you already have. The same is true with any job; serve those who have stuck by you first and grow steadily, but carefully.
While spikes in personal and business growth do certainly happen, don’t count on overnight success. If you get a barrage of new responsibilities and you can’t provide some of them your best, take a step back for a moment and consider your options. The worst thing is to grow too fast, then panic and have to cut loose a bunch of your projects, tasks, or even people out of sheer overwhelm. While shedding things can help you rebound, if you were that overwhelmed in the first place, you need to consider how to manage your time and attention much better.
Also, here’s something to consider: it’s often not a bad idea to let someone else handle certain things for you. Focus on your highest priorities first. After all, the whole point of optimization is making yourself more efficient to benefit both yourself and others. Whatever you do, make sure whoever helps you understands the difference between doing a competent, or even above-and-beyond, job and simply taking on all that’s humanly possible just for bragging rights. Trust me. It’s not worth the hassle.
~ Amelia Desertsong
