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| 1 | +# [[Should I do the thing?]] |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +[[Should I do the thing?]]: |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +### Is the thing worth doing? |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +* [[y]] yes |
| 8 | +* [[n]] no |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | +[[y]]: |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +### Is it worth doing by me in particular? |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +* [[yy]] yes! |
| 15 | +* [no](yn), someone else is better suited. |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +[yn]: |
| 18 | + |
| 19 | +### Wait a hot minute. Is this [impostor syndrome](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-impostor-syndrome/) talk? |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +* [[yy]] oops, yes, haha :) nevermind! |
| 22 | +* [[dontdo]] no, I am legitimately unqualified, and am only considering the thing as an advanced form of procrastination from the thing I *actually* mean to be doing, and/or the thing that is actually a better way *for me* to contribute to humanity/society/knowledge/art/environment |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +[[yy]]: |
| 26 | + |
| 27 | +### Is doing the thing going to take a surprising amount of resources (time, energy, money, or goodwill)? |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | +* [[nope]], this is going to go swimmingly and precisely as I plan it! |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +[[nope]]: |
| 32 | + |
| 33 | +### That seems unlikely, so let's imagine that it does become a surprising burden in _some_ way. How far over its budget (of time, energy, money, or goodwill) can the thing go and still be worth doing, _and_ worth doing _by me_? |
| 34 | + |
| 35 | +* [[spreadthin]] Not at all, I am an extremely busy person already spread exceptionally thin. |
| 36 | +* [[23x]] Like, twice or three times what I imagine. |
| 37 | +* [[infinity]] It doesn't matter, the thing is my ultimate calling, it can sap me dry and I will be the happier for it! |
| 38 | + |
| 39 | +[[infinity]]: |
| 40 | + |
| 41 | +That is demonstrably an unproductive way to go, because I am a meatbag with 24 hours in each day, several of them - ideally - asleep, and the wakeful ones permeated by the looming spectre of inescapable mortality. Therefore: |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +# I will not neglect myself in the name of the thing. |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +Firstly, because it is unkind to myself and normalizes this kind of behavior to others. Secondly, because if I neglect myself, I will quickly be unable to do the thing well, or maybe at all, and there is no place for that kind of irony in the wide-eyed quest for productivity! |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +[[23x]]: |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +# I will do the thing! |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +But also I will make sure to articulate measurable goals and keep myself accountable, and, if it turns out the thing metastasizes to other areas of life, I will seriously consider not doing the thing anymore. I will not let the sunk cost fallacy dictate my sanity. |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +[[finalyes]]: |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | +# I will do the thing! |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +(and maybe, just maybe I might leave comments or suggestions for this thing on [this public FB post](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208065569305025&set=a.2092313835444.2107842.1473210122&type=3&theater)...) |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +[[spreadthin]]: |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +### Wait, so why am I considering doing the thing? |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | +* [[opportunity]] I feel an all-consuming desire to sneak into a narrow window of opportunity. |
| 66 | +* [[sayno]] Someone asked me to do the thing, and saying "no" to them is hard. |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +[[sayno]]: |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | + Saying "no" _is_ really hard! |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +But it's even hard to say "no" from under a guilt-ridden pile of incomplete work while apologizing and shaking from 2 hours of sleep. |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +# I shouldn't do the thing and I already know it. |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +[[opportunity]]: |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +The sense of a quickly-evaporating opportunity is, for the _vast majority_ of things, imaginary. |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +If the thing is worth doing, it'll be worth doing next year. If next year I consider the thing and I am still unable to make sufficient room in my life for it, then I will be grateful and happy that my life is filled with such meaningful things worth doing already. |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +# I will not do the thing, and also I will consider taking a nice walk, right now, why not, life is short and beautiful. |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +[[dontdo]]: |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +# I will do some other thing. There are lots of things I can do! |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +* [[but]] other people tell me my options are limited... |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +[[but]]: |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +When people give advice, even in the best conscience and with excellent relevant experience, they are speaking to their own past selves. I don't have to accept their words at face value, but I can still benefit from them and be greatful for them. |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | + |
| 95 | +[[n]]: |
| 96 | + |
| 97 | +### Is it wrong to do, relative to my value system? |
| 98 | + |
| 99 | +* [yes](ny), *but*.... |
| 100 | +* [not *actively* wrong](nn) but also not *right*... |
| 101 | +* (no, just [no](justno) is not an option) |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +[justno]: |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +You indicated that the thing is not worth doing. If you think something is not worth doing, but it is a right thing to do, how is that consistent? |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +[ny]: |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +### Is it necessary? |
| 110 | + |
| 111 | +* [[dontdo]] nope |
| 112 | +* [[kindayes]] right now, it is 100% inescapable |
| 113 | + |
| 114 | +[nn]: |
| 115 | + |
| 116 | +### Will it expand my imagination or capability? |
| 117 | + |
| 118 | +* [no...](nnn) |
| 119 | +* [[kindayes]] yes! |
| 120 | + |
| 121 | +[nnn]: |
| 122 | + |
| 123 | +### Will it allow me to have more resources for other things, which are good and important? |
| 124 | + |
| 125 | +* [no...](ny) |
| 126 | +* [[kindayes]] [yes!](kindayes) |
| 127 | + |
| 128 | +[[kindayes]]: |
| 129 | + |
| 130 | +# Nothing is over until it's over. |
| 131 | + |
| 132 | +I will do the thing, but work to change my life so that something which feels *so wrong* is not *so necessary*. |
| 133 | + |
| 134 | +* Change may take time, and |
| 135 | +* many things may be out of my influence, and |
| 136 | +* much may not turn out as I hope, so: |
| 137 | + |
| 138 | +Ss long as I am doing my best, I will not punish myself unnecessarily for doing the thing, even if it goes against some of my values. |
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