What's the Most Impactful Thing?

Bret Taylor was struggling as a new CTO at Facebook. He had a big team but wasn't being effective. Sheryl Sandberg pulled him aside and gave him direct feedback.

That night he stewed. The next morning he had a realization: he'd been trying to make the job fit what he thought he liked doing, instead of asking what the job actually needed.

'When I reframed the job that way, I did different things. And the thing that was the biggest pleasant surprise to me was I liked it.'

His new daily question: 'What is the most impactful thing I could do today?'

Not what feels comfortable. Not what you're best at. Not what you did yesterday. What would actually move the needle?

For parents, this question cuts through the noise. Today, right now, with this particular child in this particular phase - what's the thing that would actually matter most?

Maybe it's not the elaborate craft project. Maybe it's just sitting on the floor and being present. Maybe it's the hard conversation you've been avoiding. Maybe it's backing off and giving them space.

Bret found that once he focused on impact instead of preference, he enjoyed things he thought he wouldn't. The same might be true for you.