Goal, ambition and insanity!

Ehhh...as someone who heard this kind of thing a lot growing up, I'd say in this context it's mostly BS with a bit of truth. The main issue, in my opinion, is that it suggests an easy solution to an ongoing, difficult process. Granted, mechanical tasks will generally take the amount of time you give them, but part of the reason why that works is because you give them priority-- for example, if you have 3 days to finish an essay instead of 30, you'll divide your work into the most important bits (intro, body, conclusion) to get it done on time. Likewise, you might prioritize the 'biggest' problem areas when cleaning if you have 15 minutes vs. 2 hours.

Where this argument falls apart is when you apply it to long-term goals or concepts, such as goals, ambition, and potential. Those terms are pretty general, so I'm assuming he's referring to those big, audacious goals that people strive for-- stuff like owning a business, losing 100+ lbs, running a marathon, becoming an artist, etc. Not only are there a lot of variables to these types of goals, but they also get better results when you take your time and become consistent.

In the case of losing 100+ lbs, you could lose very quickly (and there's a whole marketing sector waiting to help you!) but it probably wouldn't be sustainable or healthy and you'd have to do a lot of learning on the back end. For a marathon, you can run one after training for a few weeks, but it'll be a painful grind to get through, rather than an accomplishment you feel proud of and motivates you. Not only is the learning process itself valuable in these instances, but they take time to synthesize into your lifestyle and to combine with other information you've learned.

Where this advice can be true for those big goals is if you apply the mechanical process to the goal. If you want to be an artist, you can prioritize studying and sketching every day. And 5 sketchbook pages of deliberate practice will certainly make you an artist faster than 1, but you'll still have to find that synthesis with other aspects of your life or you'll burn out. Likewise, you can prioritize meal prepping, logging food, or exercise to lose 100+ lbs, but it'll take time and making mistakes before you can do it for the long-term. Running 5 days a week and increasing your mileage are mechanical processes that you can prioritize for running a marathon, but to do it in a healthy way that keeps you moving, you have to take time and learn the optimal way for you to run.

So, TL;DR, this advice is useful in that what we prioritize, we achieve; but the way he phrases it isn't useful since, on the surface, he's suggesting accomplishment above all other variables, which isn't a good way to learn new skills, build successful habits, or generally live a happy life.

So... Musk would be cool hiring an engineer that got his degree in four hours rather than four years?

Not only does he not clean his own house, he knows absolutely nothing about house cleaning.

It's not like you clean it and it stays in that condition. So on the 30 day program, it's going to need recleaning several times anyway throughout that period, unless no one lives in the house. It's all psychobabble nonsense.

I'm on the continuous cleaning program. My goals, ambitions and potential are on the same schedule... none of those things stop and stay done, never to be touched again.

BS, Parkinson's law and all that.

I mean, I can appreciate reminding ourselves that sometimes, we can do a task quickly if we really need to, but coming from people in power, it not only is BS, but it feels a bit dark for what it implies about how he'll treat his employees.

Because the problem is, you will get far too many idiots in management BELIEVING what the wealthy/successful/powerful say. And it typically leads to them expecting the impossible from their employees and adding stress and hardship in the workplace.

I always remember an acquaintance whose manager actually believed that if you want it done faster, just make the deadline closer. Like you could alter the laws of the universe, as long as you 'really put your back into it.'

But his employees were the IT department. And they would have hard deadlines involving, as an example, how fast can a computer compiles data. One time, it was going to take 48 hours of JUST computer time (not including the employees even doing anything) to finish a project. The manager told them they needed to get it done in 12 hours, told upper management that it WOULD be done in 12 hours, and then when it was literally, physically impossible, he refused to believe that and all the employees got the blame for not working hard/fast enough. :-/

"Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something." -Heinlein