Tag Archives: life

What time frame do you optimize for?

Infinity-Time1

To optimize productivity for today, I would probably continue working on exactly what I was working on yesterday.

To optimize productivity for the next few years, I would probably continue working in exactly the same area I’ve been working on for the last few years.

To optimize productivity for 10+ years, things change. I may be better off leaving my current area of expertise, and building expertise somewhere else.

To optimize for play today, I would forget about productivity and have as much fun as possible.

To optimize for play in the next few years, I would probably work in my area of expertise to maximize my pay/hour, and use that money to buy awesome life experiences.

To optimize for play in the next 10+ years, I’m not sure what I would do. My guess is that purely playing for the sake of playing would get old. I would want some sense of purpose.

To optimize my life for the now, I would probably optimize for fun.

To optimize my life in the next few years, I would probably do a mix fun, family, and purpose.

To optimize my life for 10+ years, I would probably emphasize family and purpose.

What is interesting is that as the time period changes, my actions to optimize anything also changes. It means that for any given area in life, it is important to know what time frame you are optimizing for. If your actions match the time frame you are optimizing for, you are probably in decent shape. At the very least, you are living the life you intend to life at the moment. If your actions don’t match the time frame you would like to optimize for, then something is off, and it is worth considering whether your actions or the time frame you are optimizing for is off.

I find myself performing this thought experiment from time to time and it has significantly impacted how I view my actions. Personally, I shoot to optimize for the short-term (today) a small fraction of the time (let’s say 20%), and I shoot to optimize for the long-long-term (10+ or 20+ years) most of the time. Optimizing for the now allows me to do some crazy awesome stuff and enjoy the moment. Optimizing for the long-long-term allows me to view my life as a whole, and do what I feel is right for an entire life. I’m not convinced it is worth optimizing for the medium time frames.

Have you done this thought experiment? What time frames do you optimize for, and what have you found to work best for you?

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P.S. This is post number #98 in a 100 day blogging challenge. See you tomorrow!

Follow me on Twitter @alexshye.

Or, check out my current project Soulmix.

 

The fragility of life

wirdig

The older I get, the more I respect life.

Have you gotten sick? A little virus or bacterial infection can wreak havoc on our bodies. I happen to be sick today. I don’t know what it is, but it is probably just a little bit of stuff in my system that has caused a days worth of nausea, headaches, fever, and vomiting. Crazy.

Have you gotten drunk? Have you ever gotten high? We pass so much stuff through our systems on a daily basis, yet a little amount of alcohol or drugs (relative to our entire body), can change everything. It changes our mindset. It changes our reality and our actions.

Have you noticed your body aging? I used to be able to hit the basketball courts, and immediately begin sprinting and jumping all over the place. Now, I’ve put some mileage on my body. The muscles are still there, and I can still get on the court and move, but the little changes from the wear and tear are very noticeable. I require stretching. I can’t run as fast. I can’t jump as high. And I get hurt more.

Life is an awesome thing. We get this one opportunity to experience all that this world has to offer. However, I’m beginning to realize that this is but a brief opportunity. Our body is a complex system and it is amazing that it functions as well as it does for as long as it does. It only requires little changes here and there for life to be different.. perhaps even end.

Again, as I get older, the more I respect life. The only takeaway I know of is that we need to seize the opportunity, and make sure to get what we can out of the life that we have. It sounds pithy, but it really the most important thing to understand in life.

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P.S. This is post number #92 in a 100 day blogging challenge. See you tomorrow!

Follow me on Twitter @alexshye.

Or, check out my current project Soulmix.