Pensieve: Mar 7 2024 - on Agency

[swyxio]

---

tags: pensieve

A collection of public thoughts that could be blogposts but i dont have time, so here, have the short form. I may upgrade these to full posts in future.

• Friction. There are some apps i keep wanting to switch to but i dont. why?
  • chrome -> arc browser. tried to switch one but went back because of the "weight" but I think I need tab management in my life.
  • overcast -> snipd. It still lacks some features but AI transcribing and the chance to reset my podcast backlog is helpful
  • delete youtube mobile app. done
  • i need a life recorder app right now. Tab/Friend.com is not going to do it.
• Latent Space continues to be a great asset. Keep investing.
• Agency: my deepest desire and need right now is to raise my agency/executive function. the components of executive function are:
  • health is # 1. healthy man can want a million things, sick man only wants one thing.
  • always have sorted and ranked long term goals. write them down on paper, have them on hand at all times, stare at them when you wake up and before you go to sleep. do this or life will pass by without you ever doing these. can separate life and work goals so you dont let one take over the other.
    • aim higher. lack of motivation and excitement and companions is usually due to lack of good ambition/mission. right on the edge of achievable.
    • having done this, your goals are almost certainly too big and too vague. tell me what you will do today, tomorrow, and what you expect your partners to also do in that time. goals have time horizons. goals without plans are just wishes.
  • the counterpart to/source of goals is ideas. goals without motivational ideas are soulless and pointless ladder climbs. 2 things to cultivate:
    • what will always be true - bezos style. what can you never exceed on because demand/need is ~infinite.
    • what do you believe others don't - thiel style. what is underrated that you can bet on/actively inflect.
    • having good ideas means dedicating time to reflect in solitude and research promising areas.
  • account for every waking hour. no "what the heck did I do on monday".
  • eat your frogs.
  • always track the important but not urgent and make movement on them every day
  • clearly communicate what you want to others and encourage them to do the same to you. per above: want ambitious things.
  • plan 1, 4, 12, 26, 52 weeks ahead as you build up the ability to do so.
  • journal/reflect every single day. capture lessons, regrets, joys, sorrows, ideas (see above). give advice to you 10 yrs ago and write to you 10 yrs from now.
• had a 23min call with emma ai (https://getlifestory.com/). the phone call format and recording is great, the output sucks. the question path is just okay. i need to make my own. on it.
• Lionel Barnard changed my life and I'm not even sure he remembers me. I've talked about him before. I really want to find him and talk to him while I still have a chance. I'd really like to do for a newer generation what he did for me: open my mind, teach me a useful mental framework of the world, lift me into a different life path.

question I asked a friend today: whats your # 1 thing you want to do differently this yr vs last yr? she had no answer. My current answer is: live like a healthy, fit 165lbs person. Work, social stuff is all downstream of the weight and health goal. currently this means sweating every day (run, climb, whatever) and eating better - occasional fasts, adopting blueprint, and going high protein lower carb.

Delights:

• Pikachu Volleyball - we played this game so much in school/army.
• Jaril
• Brittany

[cwong430]

This podcast talks about gaining agency @1:16:15 He says gaining agency is not by willpower but by making it more likely to have success. Either by gaining more knowledge or gaining confidence by seeing other people like yourself succeeding. https://www.infiniteloopspodcast.com/devon-eriksen-theft-of-fire-ep-206/

[swyxio]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NQfUHf6zAwZjFcurl8cO_twL2Py2fGAa?usp=sharing