Oct 17, 2023·edited Oct 17, 2023Liked by David R. MacIver
One insight I'm taking away from this is that sometimes my stated goals and my actual goals aren't the same, and I don't notice until I've achieved my actual goals but not my stated goals and suddenly I'm not motivated anymore.
(Typical case: a programming project where my stated goal is "create a tool that people will be able to use" and my actual goal is "write some code that exploits an idea or technology I'm interested in")
the nice thing about this realisation is that it rehabilitates some of my failures as "success at something else"
I really feel a kinship with this essay. The 'mode shift' idea is a huge revelation. I think if I label that there is a mode shift going on I'll be able to feel if I need to kick it into high gear or let the project/essay gestate and swirl until I'm ready.
"Almost all of my successful projects are structured as anytime projects. They are useful from fairly early on, can be contributed to incrementally, and can be abandoned almost at any point without being left feeling incomplete." - my mind is already blown!! amazing framework for projects
Yeah, it's a great approach for the things that can be structured this way. I'm hitting its limitations hard by having over-relied on it, but you're right that it's worth acknowledging that part of why I relied so much on it is that it's really good!
I find it equaly enlightening. It reminded me of "cult of done" manifesto https://thomasdeneuville.com/kio-stark/ and where the anytime algo frame now kind of captures to whole thing into a single term that feels a bit gentler.
One insight I'm taking away from this is that sometimes my stated goals and my actual goals aren't the same, and I don't notice until I've achieved my actual goals but not my stated goals and suddenly I'm not motivated anymore.
(Typical case: a programming project where my stated goal is "create a tool that people will be able to use" and my actual goal is "write some code that exploits an idea or technology I'm interested in")
the nice thing about this realisation is that it rehabilitates some of my failures as "success at something else"
Thank you for sharing that. I have not really realized that i have been doing the same thing.
I really feel a kinship with this essay. The 'mode shift' idea is a huge revelation. I think if I label that there is a mode shift going on I'll be able to feel if I need to kick it into high gear or let the project/essay gestate and swirl until I'm ready.
"Almost all of my successful projects are structured as anytime projects. They are useful from fairly early on, can be contributed to incrementally, and can be abandoned almost at any point without being left feeling incomplete." - my mind is already blown!! amazing framework for projects
Yeah, it's a great approach for the things that can be structured this way. I'm hitting its limitations hard by having over-relied on it, but you're right that it's worth acknowledging that part of why I relied so much on it is that it's really good!
I find it equaly enlightening. It reminded me of "cult of done" manifesto https://thomasdeneuville.com/kio-stark/ and where the anytime algo frame now kind of captures to whole thing into a single term that feels a bit gentler.
But it has actually a nice list of action protocols one can orient towards.
Hi David, I'm wondering if you'd be interested in writing a guest post for A.I. Supremacy Newsletter?
The topic I'm looking for is:
"How Novices and Laypeople are Using A.I. to Do More in Less Time"
More info: https://aisupremacy.substack.com/p/guest-posts-on-ai-supreamcy