I feel like people who want to do X (in the sense of the word “want” where it’s an actual desire, no Elephant-in-the-brain bullshit) do X, so they don’t have time to set timers to think about how to do X.
Yeah. When someone does not do X, they probably have a psychological problem, most likely involving lying to themselves. Setting up the timer won’t make the problem go away. (The rebelling part of the brain will find a way to undermine the progress.) See a therapist instead, or change your peer group.
The proper moment to go meta is when you are already doing X, already achieving some outcomes, and your question is how to make the already existing process more efficient. Then, 5 minutes of thinking can make you realize e.g. that some parts of the process can be outsourced or done differently or skipped completely. Which can translate to immediate gains.
In other words, you should not go meta to skip doing your ABC, but rather to progress from ABC to D.
If instead you believe that by enough armchair thinking you can skip directly to Z, you are using “rationality” as a substitute for prayer. Also, as another excuse for why you are not moving your ass.
Yeah. When someone does not do X, they probably have a psychological problem, most likely involving lying to themselves. Setting up the timer won’t make the problem go away. (The rebelling part of the brain will find a way to undermine the progress.) See a therapist instead, or change your peer group.
The proper moment to go meta is when you are already doing X, already achieving some outcomes, and your question is how to make the already existing process more efficient. Then, 5 minutes of thinking can make you realize e.g. that some parts of the process can be outsourced or done differently or skipped completely. Which can translate to immediate gains.
In other words, you should not go meta to skip doing your ABC, but rather to progress from ABC to D.
If instead you believe that by enough armchair thinking you can skip directly to Z, you are using “rationality” as a substitute for prayer. Also, as another excuse for why you are not moving your ass.