Chesterfield's Rule
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
"Anything that takes too long to do is not worth doing." This is an extreme efficiency screening principle.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Forced simplification. If a task (such as organizing files, meetings) becomes too lengthy, it indicates that the method is wrong, or the value of the task itself is overestimated. It forces us to find shortcuts, or decisively abandon low-efficiency efforts.
Anchor fast decisions
Chesterfield-style efficiency aphorism. The mechanism is the "time-value ratio" — when a task requires far more time than its value, or there is a shorter path, continuing to invest is inefficient. It forces simplification or abandonment.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/4Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- baike.baidu.comhttps://baike.baidu.com/item/切斯特菲尔德/10770668verified
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