A while back I wrote about 9 mental models and organizational systems that work for me. In the time since writing that article I've had a chance to reflect on which of these has stood the test of time and which ones no longer work for me.
Neuroplasticity, a growth mindset, little and often, a morning routine, keeping a Zettelkasten (albeit in modified form), and awareness of antifragility are all things that still resonate with me. However, some of these models I’ve dropped recently:
Getting Things Done. David Allen’s system worked for me for many years. However, the nature of my work has evolved, and I no longer have so much of a project-oriented and context-centric way of working that I once did.
Inbox Zero. There was a day when I religiously went through all my incoming email to determine what was actionable, archivable, or deletable. I managed, but doing it was exhausting. Now I use Basecamp’s Hey, which at $100/year is pricey, but automates sorting of my mail into pre-arranged folders such as the Imbox (important mail), The Feed (newsletters), Paper Trail (archived email that I don't need to look at until later via search), and Set Aside (junk). From the Imbox, emails I don't respond to immediately get processed into Reply Later or Set Aside. My work for RCM remote exams generates 3-5k automated emails a year, most of which need to be found via search several weeks to months after sending when I set up for the student’s remote exam. The time saved by the automation of these emails has been worth the yearly subscription in itself. So rather than adhering to Inbox Zero, my email just flows effortlessly.
Plus/Minus/Next. This is a fantastic review system from Anne-Laure Le Cunff at Ness Labs. It worked for me at one time, but I find myself not keeping up with it, and that's fine. Plus/Minus/Next is worth a look, as it might work for you.
In the original mental models post I wrote that my primary mental models are ones found outside my immediate discipline of music. This has been useful in identifying frameworks for thinking and doing. Which leads us to the current list.
1. Bias towards action. Just get started. Resistance to getting started is the greatest barrier to getting things done. Once the tendency to procrastinate is broken, I've found it relatively easy to get projects started and finished. Even if you haven't got a plan in place, merely starting can get the ball rolling.
It is better to start to do something and fail than it is to do nothing and wait for the correct path of action to appear. Failure is part of the result to expect if you have a bias toward action.
Bernard Roth, from The Achievement Habit
The vast majority of projects that have succeeded with me are ones where I only had a vague idea of how to proceed but figured it out while immersed in doing the work. The entire project seemed to create itself organically, starting at first steps. There were moments of failure, many of them. But these were moments where I could easily reorient and proceed.
2. OODA loops. The systematic relationship of observation to processing and decision-making is a concept that was developed by US fighter pilot and military strategist John Boyd. Although he first developed this concept in relation to military operations in order to gain an advantage on the battlefield, the process has expanded in subsequent yers to encompass a variety of activities in non-military settings.
The OODA loop consists of a four-step process:
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
The process is cyclical, but in a non-linear manner - any of the steps can feed back into the observation phase. Take a look at Farnam Street’s article on the basics of OODA loops and how they work - John Boyd was able to capitalize on the OODA loop to develop the ability to beat most fighter pilots in 40 seconds or less.
Vankatesh Rao’s article on thinking in OODA loops looks at how this concept can be utilized in collaborative settings. Vankatesh’s view of the cycle in business:
The goal of OODA operations is to operate inside the market's decision cycle, to seize and retain the initaitive, in order to control the market, to make yourself surprisingly lucky, and your customer predictably delighted.
3. Reviewing your own idea collection system can create the opposite of doomscrolling. Since the onset of the pandemic and the Russo-Ukranian war, we all know what happens when you look at news and social media feeds for too long, with the increased anxiety, rise in blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, and overall feeling of, well, doom.
But what could you do that creates the opposite of doomscrolling?
Over the last while I’ve discovered that randomly looking through previous entries in a journal, commonplace book, Zettelkasten, or idea collection system can create the opposite effect. The more you look at your previous collections of ideas, notes, and thoughts, the more positive effect it has:
connections between things
ideas for future projects
Aha moments
positive vibes
less anxiety
I've noticed that this activity can turn around my mood and have a beneficial effect, even when done mindlessly.
I need to think this idea through in greater detail and will be writing about it in greater detail in the coming weeks. I use Napkin as an idea collection system to send information to and very quickly review previous entries randomly in order to create connections that eventually lead to articles. I've even thought about what to call this effect. Growthscrolling perhaps?
4. Start reading a lot of books in order to get the right things from the ones you finish. I start an inordinate amount of books but rarely finish them. Far from feeling bad about my habit of dropping books, this is what helps me to find value in the books I read. I first read about this idea from Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution, who estimates that he only finishes one in ten books.
If you’re thinking about starting a larger number of books, I highly recommend using a library to cut down on costs. I’m fortunate to have an account with the Toronto Public Library which has one of the largest collections of ebooks in the world.
Here are some of the qualities I look for in books:
makes me think
gives me new information in a illuminating, engaging way
feeds my wonder at life
draws me in
helps to build a viable understanding of some aspect of reality, whether fiction or non-fiction
helps me to build skills where needed
gives me delight
beautifully constructed sentences
Feed the best parts into your idea management system (see #3), review quickly and randomly, and the benefits compound over time.
5. Figure stuff out on your own by doing. When I first started the Collaborative Piano Blog, I had absolutely no idea how to create a website or write and manage a large number of articles. Back in 2005, there were very few resources on how to create a blog. The best way to go about it was by diving in, making mistakes, learning the lessons, and creating it over the course of months and years. Also see #1 above.
This has led to a philosophy of working out stuff on my own and helped me to learn a large number of skills, including accounting, marketing, starting a company, as well as how to set up online teaching a year before the pandemic hit.
Robert Greene writes about the importance of finding your own way in the last of his 48 Laws of Power:
Rely too much on other people's ideas and you end up taking a form not of your own making. Too much respect for other people's wisdom will make you depreciate your own. be brutal with the past, especially your own, and have no respect for philosophies that are foisted on you from outside.
I would love to hear what mental models that you’ve found useful. Leave a comment below and let’s get the conversation started.
(Image courtesy of Agence Olloweb on Unsplash)