On my way to bed last night, I pondered the chemistry behind decisions. I quickly came to a conclusion that action is a better determinant of decision than thinking. It's easy to tell yourself you'll have just one more cookie or play one more game. That easily becomes one more cookie and one more game -- after the one you decided was going to be the last. The lack of action and corresponding lack of real consequences devalues the decision.
Contrast thinking about decision to pure action. The moves I already know. I know how to get my key and put my shoes on and move the car for street cleaning. If I sequence those actions properly, in five minutes I'll complete my task. Daily writing is the same. I know how to open a browser, how to start typing, and how to edit. Do that for 10-15 minutes and a daily thought is shared. With writing, moreover, the thinking can be done on the page - and this might be why I like it so much.
Today, I'm going to build the action muscle. That should be as exciting to read as if somebody told you they were going to the gym. If they actually do go regularly, you nod in agreement thinking: "Of course you're going. You always go." And the opposite is true. If the person says they're going to do a thing, and yet they don't execute very far, you roll your eyes thinking: "This guy has had too much coffee." Either way, you don't really care.
My action muscle today looks a lot like writing. Some of it will look like code and some design. I may even record a video or two for the How to Draw Shapes course I'm building.
Decision: Write until I gain 80% clarity. Follow with action.
Contrast thinking about decision to pure action. The moves I already know. I know how to get my key and put my shoes on and move the car for street cleaning. If I sequence those actions properly, in five minutes I'll complete my task. Daily writing is the same. I know how to open a browser, how to start typing, and how to edit. Do that for 10-15 minutes and a daily thought is shared. With writing, moreover, the thinking can be done on the page - and this might be why I like it so much.
Today, I'm going to build the action muscle. That should be as exciting to read as if somebody told you they were going to the gym. If they actually do go regularly, you nod in agreement thinking: "Of course you're going. You always go." And the opposite is true. If the person says they're going to do a thing, and yet they don't execute very far, you roll your eyes thinking: "This guy has had too much coffee." Either way, you don't really care.
My action muscle today looks a lot like writing. Some of it will look like code and some design. I may even record a video or two for the How to Draw Shapes course I'm building.
Decision: Write until I gain 80% clarity. Follow with action.
I do like this more nuanced view of choices/decisions. Too often we get high on the lesser version of decisions (without action) and just get high on making decisions. I think that kind of decisions lead to grand manifestos but little fulfillment and outcome.