Bursts of Activity are Predictable

Why is it that we seem to work intensely at times, then have a period when we kick back, perform routine tasks with far less intensity or do nothing at all. Why do we lose passion and excitement? Why do small business owners experience times during which they lose their entrepreneurial spirit?

Bursts of activity were long thought to be a random factor in human behavior, but one scientist has found that they are generally predictable. In his book, Bursts: The Hidden Pattern Behind Everything We Do, Albert-Laszlo Barabasi shows how this “bursty” pattern governs almost everything we do, and also rules much of what happens in the natural world.

He reveals a hidden side behind everyday life, economics, career development, and other activities. We even tend to our health in bursty patterns, ignoring symptoms when other things are more important until a health problem can’t be ignored, producing a flurry of medical visits in a short time.

Because for most of us time is our most valuable nonrenewable asset, we want to treat it with respect, so we set priorities. Once we do that, burstiness becomes unavoidable.

The author spends most of his book delivering real-life stories that illustrate his principles. Some, like an account of Albert Einstein’s correspondence in 1919 with a little-known scientist, illustrate how bursts govern our lives. The principles are clearly written and fascinating.

Do you experience burstiness?