Handy Polymath

Among other communications, such as coining the word “cosmopolitan”, masturbating in the marketplace, and telling Alexander the Great to step off, philosopher and civilization critic Diogenes is quoted with the following:

“Solvitur ambulando.”

“It is Solved by Walking”

Which is another way of saying the road is paved with experiments. Plan and theorize all you want, but you only find out how the world really works when you get off your ass and interact with it. In the same vein, no plan will never encompass all of the minutia and set-backs that inevitably pop up and derail you. They must be wrestled in real time at the height of their inconvenience, the sharper your focus and the more flexible your approach, the better.

This can easily become a sentence to hard labor at whack-a-mole, flailing at every distraction, constantly refocusing, and constantly being torn away from the prize. There is no plan that will save you from the unrelenting erosion of real life upon your dreams, no binder can protect you no matter how stuffed with details.

So when beginning the journey of a thousands steps, the first thing is to shuffle your dupa off the couch and pick a destination. Then get to walking.

Ditch plans. Think strategies. Think tactically.

Be Dogged in Pursuit of the PT Plan

Diogenes was a Cynic, which comes from the Greek word for ‘dog’ and was a likely descriptor for a guy bent on simple living and brutal honesty. Civilization corrupts our nature, and returning to basics increases both morality and happiness. Dogs scratch where they itch, and they know who their pack is (and isn’t). Dogs have a short list of things they care about.

Where are you headed? Work back from that to find the marks you need to hit when. Enable quick re-aiming by picking one target at a time.

Task: break down the time line for the Science Upgrade and the application tidbits. Know the drop-dead dates, build in a cushion for all hell breaking loose, make it simple to consult, and retire the binder of madness.

What is vital? How do you recognize a distraction vs. a priority? Priorities are only as strong as they are few. Pare down to a bare minimum the number of claims to your attention. Be ruthless. Get used to a different lifestyle.

Priorities alongside the PT Plan: Be engaged with your family, and provide for them. Pay it forward when possible.

Everything else is a distraction.

Luctor et Emergo: I struggle, but I’ll survive

The solution is elegant, a simple frame that offers a very different perspective. There are drawbacks to be dealt with. Adjusting to lower standards in non-priority areas. Losing the option of camouflaging a lack of progress in high-priority areas with busyness. Getting used to the diligent practice of re-aiming to the target, instead of scurrying back to the drawing board.

This is the year when Everything Changes.

In the words of the spouse, “We’ll muddle through. Famous muddlers.”