Some of my favorite heuristics / decision algorithms:
- I see flowers at the store. Should I buy some for my $specialPerson ? Yes.
- What will happen if I make this same choice 1,000 days (or more) in a row?
- What I do now is what I always do. (This has two senses. First, it reminds me that I'm primed to act in a certain way now because I have been consistent in doing the same thing in the past — so it helps me remember that I'm a creature of habit, but I can also choose something else, which will take more effort because it's not a habit yet. And second, it reminds me of the foregoing in that making a certain choice now will make it easier to make the same choice later, and will build a habit too. In other words, every choice is part of the habit-building process, and I should strive to live consistently.)
Nothing to read: action is what matters, not theorizing.
Put the two rules into practice, starting now. What action am I taking now? (What am I choosing to do?) Keeping in mind that what I do now is what I always do, what will happen / where will I be if I do the same thing 1,000 times/days in a row? The answer leads to these questions: Should I keep doing this? Should I be consistently doing something else?
Today I went to CrossFit even though I have a pulled muscle in my hip. I didn't feel like it, but exercising every day is what I do. I skipped the usual workout (running and squat/hinge work) because of the injury, but I did challenging chest and shoulder work instead, and I stretched afterward. Tomorrow I will go to yoga because when I do that 1,000 Saturdays in a row, it will supercharge my CrossFit and I'll have fewer instances of this (for me) already-rare injury.
Tonight if I start to feel like reaching for cookies/snacks to eat on the couch while watching TV, I will notice and either stop and decide I've already eaten enough for the day, or else I'll grab an apple instead. I'll also grab a book and read a chapter instead of watching drivel. That's what I do, and after doing that 1,000 more days in a row, I will have a better physique, less disease, and more knowledge.
Comments
Some of my favorite heuristics / decision algorithms:
- I see flowers at the store. Should I buy some for my $specialPerson ? Yes.
- What will happen if I make this same choice 1,000 days (or more) in a row?
- What I do now is what I always do. (This has two senses. First, it reminds me that I'm primed to act in a certain way now because I have been consistent in doing the same thing in the past — so it helps me remember that I'm a creature of habit, but I can also choose something else, which will take more effort because it's not a habit yet. And second, it reminds me of the foregoing in that making a certain choice now will make it easier to make the same choice later, and will build a habit too. In other words, every choice is part of the habit-building process, and I should strive to live consistently.)
Those were awesome! If there is $reading_material related to this, please post.
Nothing to read: action is what matters, not theorizing.
Put the two rules into practice, starting now. What action am I taking now? (What am I choosing to do?) Keeping in mind that what I do now is what I always do, what will happen / where will I be if I do the same thing 1,000 times/days in a row? The answer leads to these questions: Should I keep doing this? Should I be consistently doing something else?
Today I went to CrossFit even though I have a pulled muscle in my hip. I didn't feel like it, but exercising every day is what I do. I skipped the usual workout (running and squat/hinge work) because of the injury, but I did challenging chest and shoulder work instead, and I stretched afterward. Tomorrow I will go to yoga because when I do that 1,000 Saturdays in a row, it will supercharge my CrossFit and I'll have fewer instances of this (for me) already-rare injury.
Tonight if I start to feel like reaching for cookies/snacks to eat on the couch while watching TV, I will notice and either stop and decide I've already eaten enough for the day, or else I'll grab an apple instead. I'll also grab a book and read a chapter instead of watching drivel. That's what I do, and after doing that 1,000 more days in a row, I will have a better physique, less disease, and more knowledge.
Action is what matters.