Here’s my current list of lessons for review. Every day during my daily review, I look at the lessons in the corresponding weekday entry and the corresponding day of the month, and for each list one example from the last week where I could’ve applied the lesson, and one example where I might be able to apply the lesson in the next week:
Mon
get fast feedback. break tasks down into microtasks and review after each.
Tue
when surprised by something or took long for something, review in detail how you might’ve made the progress faster.
clarify why the progress is good → see properties you could’ve paid more attention to
Wed
use deliberate practice. see what skills you want to learn, break them down into clear subpieces, and plan practicing the skill deliberately.
don’t start too hard. set feasible challenges.
make sure you can evaluate how clean execution of the skill would look like.
Thu
Hold off on proposing solutions. first understand the problem.
gather all relevant observations
clarify criteria a good result would have
clarify confusions that need to be explained
Fri
Taboo your words: When using confusing abstract words, taboo them and rephrase to show underlying meaning.
When saying something general, make an example.
Sat
separate planning from execution. first clarify your plan before executing it.
for planning, try to extract the key (independent) subproblems of your problem.
Sun
only do what you must do. always know clearly how a task ties into your larger goals all the way up.
don’t get sidetracked by less than maximum importance stuff.
delegate whatever possible.
when stuck/stumbling: imagine you were smarter. What would a keeper do?
when unmotivated: remember what you are fighting for
be stoic. be motivated by taking the right actions. don’t be pushed down when something bad happens, just continue making progress.
when writing something to someone, make sure you properly imagine how it will read like from their perspective.
clarify insights in math
clarify open questions at the end of a session
when having an insight, sometimes try write a clear explanation. maybe send it to someone or post it.
periodically write out big picture of your research
tackle problems in the right context. (e.g. tackle hard research problems in sessions not on walks)
don’t apply effort/force/willpower. take a break if you cannot work naturally. (?)
rest effectively. take time off without stimulation.
always have at least 2 hypotheses (including plans as hypotheses about what is best to do).
try to see how the searchspace for a problem looks like. What subproblems can be solved roughly independently? What variables are (ir)relevant? (?)
separate meta-instructions and task notes from objective level notes (-> split obsidian screen)
first get hypotheses for specific cases, and only later generalize. first get plans for specific problems, and only later generalize what good methodology is.
when planning, consider information value. try new stuff.
experiment whether you can prompt AIs in ways to get useful stuff out. (AIs will only become better.)
don’t suppress parts of your mind. notice when something is wrong. try to let the part speak. apply focusing.
Relinquishment. Lightness. Evenness. Notice when you’re falling for motivated reasoning. Notice when you’re attached to a belief.
Beware confirmation bias. Consider cases where you could’ve observed evidence but didn’t.
perhaps do research in sprints. perhaps disentangle from phases where i do study/practice/orga. (?)
do things properly or not at all.
try to break your hypotheses/models. look for edge cases.
often ask why i believe something → check whether reasoning is valid (->if no clear reason ask whether true at all)
(perhaps schedule practice where i go through some nontrivial beliefs)
think what you actually expect to observe, not what might be a nice argument/consideration to tell.
Here’s my current list of lessons for review. Every day during my daily review, I look at the lessons in the corresponding weekday entry and the corresponding day of the month, and for each list one example from the last week where I could’ve applied the lesson, and one example where I might be able to apply the lesson in the next week: