Ever feel overwhelmed after saying yes to a new project or responsibility? Discover how the Diderot Effect, originally linked to consumerism, applies to time management. Each new commitment can lead to a chain reaction of responsibilities, leaving you buried in tasks. Learn how to better estimate the true time cost of your commitments and say yes with clarity. Explore the maker vs. manager distinction and find strategies to ride the curveballs life throws your way, turning chaos into control.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Diderot's Dressing Gown Story
Dennis Diderot's gift of a new dressing gown triggered a domino effect of more purchases, leading to debt.
This illustrates how one new acquisition can escalate into unexpected additional commitments.
insights INSIGHT
The Diderot Effect of Time
Saying yes to one commitment often unintentionally leads to a cascade of meetings, emails, and curveballs.
This mirrors the Diderot Effect but applies to how time commitments snowball unexpectedly.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Estimate True Time Cost
When agreeing to new projects, anticipate not just the main tasks but also the additional unseen activities.
Plot these on your calendar to realistically assess the full time impact before saying yes.
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Ever say yes to something—like a board role, a volunteer opportunity, or a work project—only to find yourself totally overrun with email, meetings, travel, and curveballs that just keep on coming?
Today, I’m talking about how something called the “Diderot Effect” can help us understand time management challenges like this. Originally coined in the consumerism space, the Diderot Effect refers to the domino effect that can happen when one new purchase leads to another and another—like a new dressing gown triggering a living room makeover or a new iPhone triggering all the accessories.
When it comes to time, we do something similar. We say yes to one thing—and suddenly find ourselves buried in the cascade of responsibilities that come with it. In short, it’s the Diderot Effect of time management. And in this episode, I share how you can use this idea to:
More realistically estimate the true time cost of a new commitment
Say yes with eyes wide open—and with more informed consent
Own your decision (and ride the curveballs more steadily)
And as a corollary, reduce the curveballs in your life
Plus, I touch on the distinction between maker and manager roles, why I think a lot of this comes back to workload, and a great place to start if your days are full of firefighting.
It’s a short episode—but I think it packs a punch.
Resources mentioned:
Listen to Episode 23 for more on the maker vs. manager distinction
Thanks for being here!
Links you might enjoy:
🌿 Free 5-Day Time Management Program Get five short, practical video lessons packed with realistic strategies to help you manage your personal and professional life with more clarity and calm.
📱 Follow me on Instagram Get bite-sized, real-life time management tips for working women—like reminders to set mail holds before travel, anonymous day-in-the-life calendars from other professional women, and behind-the-scenes looks at how I manage my own time.
✨ The full Bright Method™️ program If you're ready for a full time management system that's realistic, sustainable, and dare I say… fun, check out the Bright Method program. It's helped hundreds of professional women take back control of their time—and their peace of mind.
The Bright Method Podcast: Realistic Time Management and Productivity for Working Women & Working Moms