The Column
Balance
I have been writing fewer Columns lately. Some of the things I used to write about on here have transitioned into my Notes. Below are an excerpts from a few notes that would have been Column topics in years passed.
Of course, the beauty of having a hobby like this is that I owe a new post to exactly nobody. Especially not Nick1.
A Sampling of Notes
Productivity isn’t Inherently Good
At some point approaching adulthood you came to the overly simplistic fundamental assumption: ”Productivity is Good”.
This is true sometimes, but there is nothing inherently good2 about productivity. Sure, if you’re productive, then by definition you produce a result… but results aren’t inherently good. Even “good results” aren’t always good.
Does the “productive activity” make you happy?
Is the result actually necessary?
Does the result make you happy?
Does it make the world better?
When you want to be productive and can’t, then it feels like “productivity is good”, but that ignores the question of why do you want to be productive in the first place?
Productivity is bad if:
- you’re not enjoying the process, and the results aren’t outweighing that
- because the results are unnecessary
- because the results are bad
- achieving results that are worth the 3 Personal Resources you’re using and that result cannot be achieved via more enjoyable
Productivity is good if:
- The results are truly worth the suck
- If the process doesn’t suck and the results are okay
Productivity is great if:
- The results are good, and the process is enjoyable
Brutal and Relentless
Person A: “be kind, everyone is fighting their own battles.”
Person B: “why would I be kind? I will be brutal and relentless and ride into battle by their side.”
Control Your (blank) or Your (black) will Control You
A surprisingly common turn of phrase that I have come across in my reading is:
Control your (blank) or your (blank) will control you
Where that blank is filled with:
- Environment - (Willpower Doesn’t Work)
- Computer - (The Things We Make
- Calendar - (Off the Clock and/or Deep Work (book)
- Projects - (Building a Second Brain
Although I don’t specifically ever seeing these in this context, I feel like several books I’ve read could be summarized in this way:
- Control your money or your money will control you (Your Money or Your Life
- Control the things you buy or the things you buy will control you (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
- Control your commitments or your commitments will control you (Essentialism
Endnotes
I honestly dunno if this sort of Column is at all interesting. After having done the work to copy/paste the above, meh. Maybe I’ll just write about non-noteworthy things.
Non-Noteworthy Things
The weather is nice. Allergies are not.
Dune 2 was great.
I told a good joke today. The punch line was “You can have Juan, but not the other”. I’ll leave it to your imagination to fill in the run-up. Frankly any setup would work. Dynamite punch line. I had to stop myself from fist-pumping all over the room.
Top 9: XoX
I’m not sure why I wanted to make this.
9. 909 - Area Code for San Bernardino
8. 808 - Old Drum Machine
7. 707 - Airplane
6. 606 - Bloomingdale Trail
5. 505 - Green Chiles
4. 404 - Page Not Found Error
3. 303 - British 7.7mm rifle cartridge
2. 202 - School District for Turner, Kansas
1. 101 - Basic Class on Whatever Subject
BONUS ROUND:
AOA - Analysis of Alternatives
BOB - Name
DOD - Department of Defense
EOE - Equal Opportunity Employer - Thanks D
IOI - Five, in binary - Thanks D
LOL - Laugh Out Loud
MOM - Best Person Ever
NON - Prefix meaning “not”
OOO - Out of Office
POP - person you should not hop on
SOS - HELP!
TOT - what a tater turns into
WOW - what a list I’ve made!
XOX - kisses and a hug
Quote:
Honesty means telling the true. My oldest, where the “h” in honesty isn’t silent