Is asking an AI to do the think doing the thing ?
Things that aren't doing the thing
191–200 of 220 posts
Re: Things that aren't doing the thing
#192Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd say for the purposes of this article anything that is required in order to have done the thing is "doing the thing". If you need to read something to get the thing done you are doing the thing. If you already know everything to get started but still read another article you are procrastinating. If you need to sand this part to do a good job painting it, then you are doing the thing. If you just continue sanding w…
Additionally, a lot of people will describe doing completely unrelated things as "(mentally) preparing to do the thing." I catch myself doing this. I will put off writing a job requisition by spending time on code. I will tell myself, "ugh, I'm just not in the right mental state to write a job req right now. Let me focus on some code until I'm ready." Which never works. I end up getting into a code flow state and tha…
Things I do to deal with the mental state procrastination lie:
- Start things. If after actually trying the thing I am truly not in a conducive mental state for the activity I can quit. Mostly evidence for this bad mental state is repeated mistakes at things I can already do. I think starting also weakens procrastination habits because you know you’re going to experience the thing you’re avoiding anyway even if you end up quitting part way through.
- Focus on whether it is a bad mental state for the activity rather than “the right” mental state for the activity. Most mental states will be good enough for most tasks. You don’t need code flow to code, even if you want it and it helps. You just need to not be in a state where you can’t figure things out or you keep introducing bugs.
- Completely reject my feelings about doing the task. If you’re in those feelings the task is a lot harder and the procrastination lies a lot easier to believe. It doesn’t matter in the short term how you feel about tasks you have to do.
- Constantly question the veracity of procrastinations lies. “Is this true?” “If it is true what can I do about it right now?”
- Reward myself after completing the task if I don’t get any kind of internal satisfaction naturally.
Re: Things that aren't doing the thing
#193For me, sometimes encouragement that what I'm doing is in support of Doing the Thing has helped me not feel so discouraged that I actually just give up on Doing the Thing altogether. Other times it has felt like a cheap excuse that allows me to delay. I'm not sure the function of all the ancillary activities, relative to Doing the Thing, is actually fixed.
Re: Things that aren't doing the thing
#194> Preparing to do the thing isn't doing the thing. For some types of work, the work we call prep work is 90% of the work and most of what determines how well the finished product turns out. Painting is a good example. You can grab a bucket of paint and paint brush and start “doing the thing” by slapping paint on the surface. Your paint job is going to be very poor and fail early relative to a professional who properl…
I read your first sentence and I thought "Yes, just like painting" and then you hit me with:
Painting is a good example
While I agree with your point, I believe this post is just psychological pep talk aimed at people like me (and probably the author) who dance around in endless preparation/postponing because they can't bring themselves to do the ting. It's generally an emotional issue: You are afraid of messing it up or of the consequences of the thing etc.
I wish I didn't but I need that kind of pep talk in my life
Re: Things that aren't doing the thing
#195In the Viable System Model[0], "doing the thing" is System 1. Yes of course you need System 1 or the thing won't get done. But in any viable system, you also have the "meta-systems", Systems 2-5: - System 2: coordination between multiple Systems 1 (which includes prioritization, communication, and exceptional conditions) - System 3: resource allocation and process development - System 4: strategy and risk management…
This would have been neat in business school
people have to keep rediscovering/reinventing cybernetics because society keeps forgetting it lol
Re: Things that aren't doing the thing
#196Related: "Do the Real Thing" by Scott Young (2020):
https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2020/05/04/do-the-real-thin...
Re: Things that aren't doing the thing
#197> Preparing to do the thing isn't doing the thing. For some types of work, the work we call prep work is 90% of the work and most of what determines how well the finished product turns out. Painting is a good example. You can grab a bucket of paint and paint brush and start “doing the thing” by slapping paint on the surface. Your paint job is going to be very poor and fail early relative to a professional who properl…
Sanding and cleaning are absolutely parts of painting. As is the wait until the paint dries.
Preparing the work area isn't. If you can get away without doing it (like if you can move the piece into some area you don't need to prepare), you should.
Re: Things that aren't doing the thing
#198In the Viable System Model[0], "doing the thing" is System 1. Yes of course you need System 1 or the thing won't get done. But in any viable system, you also have the "meta-systems", Systems 2-5: - System 2: coordination between multiple Systems 1 (which includes prioritization, communication, and exceptional conditions) - System 3: resource allocation and process development - System 4: strategy and risk management…
writing this reply on hackernews is not "doing the thing" bro.
In his case, his domain shows up on HN periodically. Like simonw or tptacek, interacting with the audience is doing the thing in his case. Haha. But probably not for the audience!
Re: Things that aren't doing the thing
#199Wow this article is an amazing rorschach test! Each defensive comment here is a person defending what he thinks this article is personally attacking him on!
It's also unclear to me if people are intentionally ignoring the fact that it's about procrastination, or actually don't realize that in the rush to argue about what constitutes productive work.
Re: Things that aren't doing the thing
#200I think the transition between things being done is maybe a bit more interesting. "Build a house," is a thing , but at which point of the dreaming, designing, planning, permitting, architecting, financing, contracting, acquiring, installing, verifying, reworking, coordinating, inspecting, styling, unpacking, cleaning, landscaping, repairing, upgrading, and waiting, are you doing it? Perhaps each discrete thing is its…
When are you rebuilding the Ship of Theseus?