# Project People vs. Area People: Are You Running a Sprint Or a Marathon?

![rw-book-cover](https://i0.wp.com/fortelabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cropped-cropped-Icon_Red-1.png?fit=192%2C192&ssl=1)

## Metadata
- Author: [[Tiago Forte]]
- Full Title: Project People vs. Area People: Are You Running a Sprint Or a Marathon?
- Category: #articles
- Document Tags: [[productivity]] 
- URL: https://fortelabs.com/blog/project-people-vs-area-people-are-you-running-a-sprint-or-a-marathon/
- Archive: https://web-archive.alecodes.page/bookmarks?bf=1&search=&title=Project%20People%20vs.%20Area%20People%3A%20Are%20You%20Running%20a%20Sprint%20Or%20a%20Marathon%3F

> [!note]
> Goal: The intent is to enhance productivity by effectively organizing tasks into projects and areas of responsibility, enabling better focus and balance in work and life.
> - [ ] 🗓️ **Establish a daily routine** to create structure and consistency in work and personal life.
> - [ ] 🎯 **Set specific deadlines** for tasks to promote urgency and focus on achieving desired outcomes.
> - [ ] 🌳 Take regular breaks and engage in nature to recharge and maintain mental clarity.
> - [ ] 📝 **Maintain a journal** to reflect on thoughts and anxieties, aiding in self-awareness and emotional balance.
> - [ ] 🌟 **Evaluate the balance** between project-focused work and ongoing areas of responsibility to ensure sustainable productivity.
> - [ ] 🚀 **Break larger projects into smaller tasks** with milestones to track progress and maintain motivation. 
> - [ ] 🧘‍♂️ Integrate a mindful practice, such as meditation, to cultivate awareness and reduce stress.
> [!tldr]
> The author, Tiago Forte, suggests organizing work into two categories: projects, which are short-term tasks with specific outcomes, and areas of responsibility, which are ongoing aspects of life that require maintenance. He emphasizes the importance of balancing both, as projects provide excitement and achievement, while areas foster peace and fulfillment. By understanding and managing these categories effectively, individuals can improve their productivity and well-being.

## Highlights
A **project** is any endeavor that has:
1) A desired *outcome* that will enable you to mark it “complete”
2) A *deadline* or timeframe by which you’d like it done. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8akz4t1csffcf6ps9rj56))

An **area of responsibility** has 1) a *standard* to be maintained that 2) is continuous over time. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8aqhhnkykx9aw3f5jk4an))

Areas are crucial to your wellbeing, security, fulfillment, and peace of mind. Whereas projects have outcomes, areas have *standards* *of performance* that you want to maintain. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8ex5f82m4zjkzte47n5f1))

Once you view your life through the lens of discrete projects and continuous areas, it becomes clear that both of these structures are essential. Projects bring you excitement, achievement, and recognition, whereas areas bring you balance, peace, and meaning. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8h36864xvfwed8kx1wbv3))

Every project requires a “heavy lift” to some degree, but those heavy lifts are far more powerful and effective (and brief) when you’ve already been collecting material in a “slow burn.” __It is only when heavy lifts become a chronic, default way of approaching everything that they lead to burnout and exhaustion__. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8mmxvbt84hm0zh4ecky0p))

“Project people” are good at sprints. Give them a clear goal and a path to get there, and they will ferociously chase after it with everything they have. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8nq7mx2gcg1bkbebk7jb7))

But the weakness of sprinters is that once they’ve reached their goal, they will often have trouble keeping it going. They will often change direction and run after the next goal, leaving their past achievements to wither. Sprinters are prone to starting many things and getting obsessed for a short time, before moving abruptly to something else. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8ph0pee8fazkr6jcn9e52))

“Area people” excel at marathons. Send them on a long journey with some supplies and they will doggedly keep at it for as long as it takes. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8pnmq54457hb2a9fwkyby))

The weakness of marathoners is that they often have trouble generating a lot of power on short notice. When an opportunity opens up that requires quick, decisive action, they’ll have difficulty changing direction and drawing down their reserves to chase it down [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8q8wmf4j78vppmcst8fe4))

Projects require you to be **laser-focused,** to ferociously drive toward an outcome, **to overcome or circumvent obstacles**, and to **ignore distractions along the way**. Areas, on the other hand, require **mindfulness, balance, and reflection**. This is the realm of **habits, rituals, and intentional communities**. Whereas projects tend to be more black and white, areas require more introspection and self-awareness because it takes more nuance to decide if you are meeting your standard in a given area. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p8zgbrdb2x0dc8v9aba3pc))

If you are a “Project person” and want to improve your ability to sustain your areas, here are some techniques you can try:
• Adopt a morning or evening routine
• Set limits to your working hours
• Take regular breaks and walks in nature
• Journal and write out your internal anxieties and thoughts
• Create a meditation habit (or other mindful habit)
• Set your intentions each day, week, month, or year
• Evaluate your schedule for a balance of intense work and healthy, mindful activities [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p94wamdw1k24avskcd8vd2)) [[review/plan]] [[favorite]] 
> [!note]
> Implement

We all know the importance of work-life balance and healthy boundaries, but once in a while we have to let all that go and focus every ounce of energy we have on a singular outcome. This is, by definition, unsustainable. But that is why it’s so important to move fast and break through barriers as quickly as possible: __the faster you reach your objective, the sooner you can stop to rest and recover__. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p9bh2gd06bbgmgyp9tn7ef))

Some seasons of our lives are all about the journey, but others are more like sprints.
*Source: [The Universe Will Now Explode for Your Pleasure](https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=78cbbb7f2882629a5157fa593&id=c4f01c7ab5) by Venkatesh Rao* [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j5p9fyk6bjw8gg0v5n09q5yx))

