Part 3: The productivity principle that works like a cheat code for doing hard stuff
A multi-part post inspired by one of the deadliest females on planet earth.
Coming in cold on this post thread? Catch-up on part I or part II
I’d hoped the change in my outputs, produced by embracing the hardcore principle of a legitimate ass-kicking-living-legend, would be immediate, radical and positive. Arguably the opposite of any policy relating to aboriginal rights or climate change that one could expect the current Australian Liberal Party to propose and enact this century.
But, they weren’t.
This was an important lesson learned in understanding the difference between a principle and a method.
Perhaps the same lesson that will soon be taught to the Albanese government at the upcoming Voice referendum. Even if you’re right in principle; if you choose the wrong method in which to execute, you end up with the same shitty result.
I attempted to replicate Sylvie’s exact approach: time blocking next-day-action decision making duties, the evening prior to.
Why didn’t it work?
Because Couch Brain Mikey.
The suggestion of adding another high-touch mental task at the end of my day when I was tired, hungry and out of cares to give, was not warmly received by Couch Brain Mikey.
Couch Brain Mikey would always resist.
Looking back on the month long tracker I kept (in Google Sheets) to keep myself accountable: around 30% of the time Couch Brain Mikey would win - I’d fail to keep my pact and end up having to decide whether to do or not do the-hard-stuff* on a whim. More often than not this resulted in net less hard stuff getting done.
*The-hard-stuff: a task, in any context, that demands significant energy, deep focus and/or being brave. Think strategic planning, personal development, post-work physical training when you’re mentally exhausted, figuring out how to engage with a potential mentor, keeping up a pre-work writing routine.
The kind of stuff that we know is of greatest importance and value to us, but is all too easily relegated.
Without wanting to delve too deeply into a scientific field I have about as much license to as Kanye does the finer points of Judaism, it’s worth noting that our energy levels (aka ‘ATP’), emotional and cognitive states all play crucial roles in influencing our decisions.
The Decision Influencing Triad.
In essence: when we feel tired/stressed/upset/hangry it directly affects our decision making process and ultimately; the decisions themselves. We tend to default to unconscious/lower-energy-system decision making whenever possible - something to do with our inherent human battery saver mode: deep-thinking requires significantly more glucose to fuel it than shoot-from-the-hip style, unconcious thinking.
The scary truth is that around 90% of our decisions are unconscious**.
The vast majority of the time we make whatever decision that arrives with the least effort. I assume this in order to save a little extra juice for walking the dog/fighting crime/escaping monsters. I think Mindful Designer Dina Zuko puts it best in this blog post:**
“About 90% of the time we are like Homer Simpson and 10% like Mr. Spock.”
Yes; it’s a bad idea to ask for a raise when your boss is hungover or to choose the late afternoon time slot for your parole hearing…
How did I adjust my method to make Sylvie’s principle work for me?
Stay tuned for the next episode…
Be your EPIC
- Michael (Mike) Drohan
We out. 🙇
** https://uxdesign.cc/the-unconscious-emotions-and-our-decision-making-process-183002021a29