Search for actions, not knowledge 2022-12-13

People love to think of theirselves as knowledge seekers.

We read books, listen to lectures, and consume a never-ending stream of information in order to learn and grow. But - how much of that knowledge do we actually use?

When we consume knowledge, we feel that short hype. We imagine that if we’d do just that small thing, we’d be successful. It makes us feel smart, and that we can be successful if we really wanted to. And then… we forget about it. We move on to consume the next piece of knowledge.

Instead of just seeking out more and more knowledge, turn your attention to the quantity of actions you’ve taken towards your goals.

Don’t focus on taking the most effective action. Focus on Pace of Action.

Even if you do something, even if you act - if you find yourself procrastinating this one thing, you might want to do these things:

Imagine the part that you want to avoid the most. Separate it from the rest.
I hated swimming for a long time. But I actually loved the feeling after 50 pools. And also loved the feeling during the swim.
I was meditating on why am I so uncomfortable leaving the house to the pool. I realized that I hated the moment of entering the water.
It was too cold.
The shift in tempratures was making me nuts. After two pools that feeling was gone, but still, it was painful.
So to tackle it, I came up with a ritual of getting to the pool. I now scoop water with my right hand and pour it on my left shoulder, then again with opposite sides. Then I count to 5, and after 5 I have to get in the pool. It works every time. I’m sure it looks funny from the outside, but it works.

Whenever I feel that itch to skip the pool, I remind myself that I only feel that because of that moment, not because I don’t like swimming.

Acknowledge that if you want to be successful, this one thing you have to complete today, is only one in a series of actions you have to take. And while this may turn you off, it is the truth. The likelihood of you being very successful because you’ve done just one thing right, is very low.

Put the infrastructure in place to enable you the right pace of action. Action has its rhythm.