Paul Graham: Pick Projects You Think About In The Shower
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Most productivity advice tells you to cram more into your calendar. This image flips that on its head with one simple filter: if you’re not thinking about it in the shower, you’ll probably do a mediocre job. Your best work stalks you into boring moments—shower, commute, washing dishes. That’s the stuff worth betting your time, business, and reputation on.
Your new filter: shower or scrap
Look at your current list of projects and ask one question: which of these hijack my thoughts when I’m in the shower? Circle those. Everything else either gets delegated, delayed, or deleted. You don’t need more projects; you need fewer that you can’t stop mentally tinkering with, even when there’s no notebook, no laptop, and nowhere to hide from your real priorities.
The Psychology Behind "Shower Projects"
- Shower thoughts reveal what your brain chews on when nobody’s forcing it.
- Ideas that follow you into downtime are easier to work on without needing motivation hacks.
- Obsession beats discipline; if it feels like play, you’ll naturally outwork everyone else.
- Using the shower test kills off lukewarm projects before they quietly drain your energy.
How to use the shower test in real life
Basecamp chooses product features they find themselves mentally simplifying while away from their desks, then ship only the ideas that keep nagging them.
Shopify founders doubled down on e‑commerce tools after realizing they kept mentally redesigning store interfaces while doing everyday chores.
Creative Variations
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