Menu

In an attempt to get some of the analysis-paralysis-reducing benefits of goal-setting but without the outcome orientation, I devise a weekly “menu” with a few good options to choose as activities for my day. I’ll plan that weekly and then mostly try to avoid litigating it from there. I’ll leave open a “soup du jour” option to fall into any rabbit holes which seem appealing… but that’ll just be one option among many. I’ll use the weekly planning process to keep my eyes on the “big picture” of the projects, then mostly try to forget that day-to-day. We’ll see how that goes! (2022-01-12)

2022-02-23 update: as part of my weekly planning, I reflect on and identify a “high order bit” for my work as part of menu planning. This is intended to help me keep my sense of what’s most important/strategic while retaining some optionality and expansiveness.

Example menu

  • Orbit: sketching and comping new UI; prompt writing for Introduction to Modern Statistics
  • Quantum Country: writing towards “what’s my next experiment?”
  • Reading: read SRS optimization/efficacy paper queue; read CHI proceedings; read about zk-SNARK algos
  • Writing: public 2021 review; notes on notes; notes on Maui books
  • Email/administrivia (no more than 30m/day)
  • Soup du jour: whatever rabbit hole appeals
Last updated 2023-07-13.