[M]etabrain [E]ntry [L]og - Braindumps on things Mel Chua has found shiny lately.

Digging out a path of least resistance

I’ve been thinking of a way to try explaining my long-term-outlook-short-term-action way of thinking – the “plan to improvise” thing I keep talking about – and just did something that seemed particularly illustrative, and hence and documenting it.

Situation: it’s well past normal lunchtime. I have just realized this. I think “well, I should go down and eat sometime,” but don’t want to leave my warm and toasty room.

Response: Instead of gritting my teeth and plunging downstairs into the coldness to get food, I reach over and turn off the heater, and set a trigger in my mind for when I next notice the temperature. At some point, the room will cool down to the point where I go “ah, it’s cold.” And when I get up to turn the heater back on,  I’ll remember my trigger and go “ah, but while I’m up, I might as well go downstairs where it’s equally cold, and get food.”

Complicated? Sure. Worksforme? You bet.

I follow the path of least resistance on a small timescale, but work over the long timescale to make that path of least resistance the one where I actually want to go. Instead of pushing giant wheels uphill, I dig little downhill paths before them. It also makes it way easier for my later-self (and others) to follow in my footsteps later on.

I enjoy being lazy; it gives me the opportunity to be smart about my laziness. Does that make sense?

Ah! It’s a bit chilly in here now. I think I shall go turn on the hea… I mean, go down and get some lunch and then turn on the heat. Sweet.