- You can schedule open time in the day. Maybe this gets you the best of both worlds of serendipity and optimization?
- Regarding metrics that get trapped in local optima, if there is no path available that optimizes the metric then you should take a path that does Not optimize it. This is what the A-Star algorithm does.
- Try supplementing heat maps and trackers with quick daily reflections. Whatever the tracker's big idea or ultimate goal, jot down a few sentences on how you feel about your engagement with the goal/idea that day. This mixes quantitative and qualitative tracking. Periodically review this reflections.
- Optimizing a single dimension does indeed lead to bad results on all other dimensions. So optimize on several dimensions! Career, Social, and Health is a good basket to start with.
- I definitely like the idea of scheduling open time. There's something quite humorous to me about planning a slot with the intention of doing nothing in particular :) I will definitely try it.
- I had heard of the A-Star algorithm but didn't know how it works. It gives me Via Negativa vibes. Instead of trying to do what works, just don't do what doesn't work instead!
- I completely agree with the necessity of daily reflection. I spoke about that here on a podcast starting from 8:06 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3p8PpZgV5JzRIzo2ICfYZh?si=88fbf5b6d5534297. It helps you understand why you are doing the activities you are doing in the first place and also helps you update and change your values and routine over time instead of blindly doing the same thing every day like an automaton.
- Optimising multiple things seems like the way forward.
Some scattered thoughts on all this:
- You can schedule open time in the day. Maybe this gets you the best of both worlds of serendipity and optimization?
- Regarding metrics that get trapped in local optima, if there is no path available that optimizes the metric then you should take a path that does Not optimize it. This is what the A-Star algorithm does.
- Try supplementing heat maps and trackers with quick daily reflections. Whatever the tracker's big idea or ultimate goal, jot down a few sentences on how you feel about your engagement with the goal/idea that day. This mixes quantitative and qualitative tracking. Periodically review this reflections.
- Optimizing a single dimension does indeed lead to bad results on all other dimensions. So optimize on several dimensions! Career, Social, and Health is a good basket to start with.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Jon.
- I definitely like the idea of scheduling open time. There's something quite humorous to me about planning a slot with the intention of doing nothing in particular :) I will definitely try it.
- I had heard of the A-Star algorithm but didn't know how it works. It gives me Via Negativa vibes. Instead of trying to do what works, just don't do what doesn't work instead!
- I completely agree with the necessity of daily reflection. I spoke about that here on a podcast starting from 8:06 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3p8PpZgV5JzRIzo2ICfYZh?si=88fbf5b6d5534297. It helps you understand why you are doing the activities you are doing in the first place and also helps you update and change your values and routine over time instead of blindly doing the same thing every day like an automaton.
- Optimising multiple things seems like the way forward.