Most metrics of productivity/success are at a stable equilibrium in my life. For example:
The work I get done in a day (month?) is fairly constant. If I work hard throughout the day, I eventually feel satisfied and relax for a while. If I relax for too long, I start feeling sluggish and want to get back to working. Sometimes this happens more so on the scale of an entire month (an incredibly productive week followed by a very sluggish week).
The amount of socialization I partake in each week is also constant. When I socialize too much my battery is drained and I draw back into myself. If I spend too long cooped up, I reach out to more people.
My weight has been pretty constant for the last few years. Every morning I weigh myself. If I my weight is lower than normal I tend to pay less attention to what I’m eating and when my weight is higher than normal I tend to cut back a bit. Even if I eat cake one day, my weight comes back to equilibrium fairly quickly
Shifting equilibrium like these (being more productive, socializing more, getting in better shape, etc.) is obviously desirable. Let’s explore that.
In cases like these, direct attempts to immediately change equilibria (like motivating myself to work harder in the moment, going to parties every night for a week, eating an unreasonable calorie deficit to “get fit quick,” etc.) is like pushing the ball up the sides of the bowl. Why?
These equilibria are all determined by my own identity. The reason my [productivity/sociability/fitness] is [current level] is because I think of myself as someone who is at that current level of the skill. Making my [current level] jump in the short term does not change my identity and hence does not change my equilibrium.
The only way to “tip the bowl” is to change my identity, how I view myself. Probably the least-likely-to-fail way of doing this is in small increments. For example, instead of instantly trying to be supernaturally productive, first try cutting out YouTube/Twitter/Reddit. When it feels like this is an equilibrium, try reading a paper a week. Then a paper a night. Continue in small steps, focusing on internalizing the identity of being “someone who reads papers” so that the habit of actually reading the papers comes easily.
Most metrics of productivity/success are at a stable equilibrium in my life. For example:
The work I get done in a day (month?) is fairly constant. If I work hard throughout the day, I eventually feel satisfied and relax for a while. If I relax for too long, I start feeling sluggish and want to get back to working. Sometimes this happens more so on the scale of an entire month (an incredibly productive week followed by a very sluggish week).
The amount of socialization I partake in each week is also constant. When I socialize too much my battery is drained and I draw back into myself. If I spend too long cooped up, I reach out to more people.
My weight has been pretty constant for the last few years. Every morning I weigh myself. If I my weight is lower than normal I tend to pay less attention to what I’m eating and when my weight is higher than normal I tend to cut back a bit. Even if I eat cake one day, my weight comes back to equilibrium fairly quickly
Shifting equilibrium like these (being more productive, socializing more, getting in better shape, etc.) is obviously desirable. Let’s explore that.
In cases like these, direct attempts to immediately change equilibria (like motivating myself to work harder in the moment, going to parties every night for a week, eating an unreasonable calorie deficit to “get fit quick,” etc.) is like pushing the ball up the sides of the bowl. Why?
These equilibria are all determined by my own identity. The reason my [productivity/sociability/fitness] is [current level] is because I think of myself as someone who is at that current level of the skill. Making my [current level] jump in the short term does not change my identity and hence does not change my equilibrium.
The only way to “tip the bowl” is to change my identity, how I view myself. Probably the least-likely-to-fail way of doing this is in small increments. For example, instead of instantly trying to be supernaturally productive, first try cutting out YouTube/Twitter/Reddit. When it feels like this is an equilibrium, try reading a paper a week. Then a paper a night. Continue in small steps, focusing on internalizing the identity of being “someone who reads papers” so that the habit of actually reading the papers comes easily.