Mason  🏃‍♂️ ✂️

If (a) most sustained changes require a change in circumstances (not willpower) & (b) exceptional performers across activities do things qualitatively differently from typical performers, perhaps we should expect "I'll push myself to do more x for better outcomes" to usually fail

(a): Willpower is a useful burst power-up, but the routines/norms/sense of self we build around our own habits defend themselves; most people succumb — we see this in the stats for all kinds of lifestyle changes (re: diet, exercise, intoxicants, etc.) https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1099502234411270144 …

(b): People who get exceptionally good at anything do "work hard" & "practice" a lot, but so do many people who never excel. Why? Innate talent? Maybe not — on close observation, top performers tend to *do better things,* not just do standard things betterhttps://twitter.com/patrickc/status/1076237571527663616 …

"I'll push myself to do more x for better outcomes" seems to fall into both implied traps: "pushing yourself" implies a strategy built on a sustained willpower most of us just don't have, and "doing more" of the same x can generally be expected to yield lackluster improvements

I also believe these traps are *combinatorially* damaging: Brute-forcing behavior without realtime mental buy-in demolishes focus, curiosity and creativity... ...and doing the same thing over and over well past the point you'd like to stop drains willpower like little else.