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Stop Trying Harder. Build a Better System.

October 7, 2026 · 28 min

Show notes

If trying harder were the answer, your to-do list would be empty by now. In How to Be Good at Life: Simple Systems to Achieve More and Stress Less, Ben Meer explores how redesigning the systems around you can make everyday life less exhausting—and why another habit isn’t always the fix. Ayelet Fishbach brings the science of motivation to the same challenge in Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation, examining how the way we frame goals, find enjoyment, and involve other people shapes whether we follow through. Together, they offer a different question: What if making progress meant less self-criticism and better design?⁠⁠⁠⁠

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