Lutke on Constraints

The Practice

Take a project that feels sprawling and impose one hard constraint on it today — half the time, half the scope, one feature, one page. Set the limit in writing before you begin so the boundary is real and not negotiable mid-task. Watch how the narrowing settles your mind rather than restricting it; the restless engine runs cleaner inside a tight track. Constraint is not the enemy of your wide-ranging mind. It is the channel that finally lets it cut.