Экономия усилий

Очень часто в рекламе или аргументации встречаю тезис: это экономит время. Но зачастую это неправда. Например, ChatGPT экономит не столько время, сколько усилия, которые нужно приложить, чтобы достичь результата.

Написать текст самому гораздо быстрее, чем через цепочку из десяти промптов добиться хорошего результата от большой языковой модели. А если ИИ нужно что-то объяснить перед тем, как решить задачу, это однозначно замедляет процесс. Самому — быстрее.

Но когда делаешь что-то сам, приходится думать, а думать неприятно. Вот и обращаешься к ИИ, чтобы освободить мозг от ненужных затрат энергии.

И это не только про ИИ. Например, посчитать в уме 60% от 250 или 65*12 значительно быстрее, чем взять телефон, запустить калькулятор и ввести числа. Быстрее, но не проще. И так со многими другими вещами.

Но ведь никто не будет рекламировать продукт через то, что он позволяет меньше думать, потому что думать считается полезным. Вот и продвигают его через экономию времени, даже если это лишь полуправда.

Прошёл год, и OpenAI почти сделали это.

https://openai.com/index/introducing-operator/

Отказ от соцсетей

Я удалил все соцсети с телефона, кроме Ютуба. Для Ютуба я перестал сохранять историю просмотра, теперь там только поиск, никаких шортов и рекомендаций. В Телеграме я отписался от 70% каналов.

Постинг в соцсети я доверил сервису Buffer, подойдет и аналогичный. Теперь я только твитчу и не знаю, что мне там пишут в комментариях, сколько лайков набрал твит, кто его репостнул. Не знаю. И, как ни удивительно, не хочу знать.

Я думал, что в результате стану более продуктивным, потому что у меня будет плюс два-три часа каждый день. Вместо этого я стал более счастливым.

Я пересмотрел планы и цели, которые ставил до этого, потому что понял, что они не мои. И мне это не очень-то и нужно.

Теперь я могу два часа сидеть у озера, смотреть на птичек и слушать аудиокнигу.

И быть до непристойности счастливым.

Go offline

I mean, really. Read a physical book, not an e-book. Go to a live show of an artist or a band. Go for a walk. Attend an organ concert. Really.

I spend most of my time online, looking at the screen. But the best parts of my day are mostly offline. I love watching how birds eat treats from the feeder outside my window. I enjoy sitting on a bench and watching the ducks chill on the pond. I love walking and feeling the sunlight on my skin. I cherish intimate moments with my wife. I enjoy dining out at nice places.

None of this is online Ҩ #thoughts #advice

Don't Break a Streak

It is funny how even the simplest forms of gamification work. Even knowing that it is manipulation, that this number doesn’t mean anything, and that it doesn’t even reflect the actual amount of books read, I still try not to break the streak in Apple Books.

The Apple Books app has one of the best implementations of gamification. It has a yearly goal for books and a daily goal for minutes—nothing crazy. But it works. Overuse of gamification can make apps annoying, but adding some gamification can benefit even serious applications.

If you want to make a new habit or learn a new skill, consider trying the simplest gamification methods like logs, checklists, and streaks. You don't even need special software for it; any calendar, reminder, or notes app can do it.

It is a manipulation, but it works Ҩ #thoughts #observations

The Dip by Seth Godin

The Dip by Seth Godin is better than 99% of motivational or self-help books. Instead of motivational phrases, it provides an interesting framework for making decisions about quitting or winning.

First, you need to identify the curve you are in:
The Dip — easy and fun at the start, hard and painful in the dip, with a good prize at the end.
The Cul-de-Sac — a dead end, where nothing becomes much better or worse.
The Cliff — rare but scary, good and fun for a long time, and then a sudden fall.

If it’s the Cul-de-Sac or the Cliff — quit immediately.

If it’s the Dip, then try to understand if the prize is worth the pain. If it is, explore different strategies to win in the Dip, not just to survive, but to truly succeed. If the prize is not worth pursuing, leave immediately. You need to assess whether the prize is worth it before entering the Dip, as it becomes difficult to evaluate once you are in, and you may feel compelled to quit.

To free up space for your goals, write down the things you want to quit, along with a date to quit, and stick to it.

Additionally, Seth explains the benefits of being the best in the world, where “world” is a flexible term. You need to be the best in a specific niche or market. Find this niche or market by evaluating your resources, and become the best there.

Overall, I recommend reading The Dip. If you don’t want to spend time on it, at least read Liaken’s Goodreads review, which includes good extracts from the book Ҩ #books

How to Read 50+ Books Per Year?

Just delete social media apps from your phone Ҩ #thoughts

The Design of Everyday Things

I heard that “The Design of Everyday Things” by Donald Norman is referred to as the Bible of UX Designers. This metaphor is much deeper than you might think.

Like the Bible, it is hard to read because of its language style; it is not easily written. Similar to the Bible, it contains many examples that may seem irrelevant to the modern world. However, just as the Bible provides moral principles that are still relevant today, “The Design of Everyday Things” teaches you the fundamental principles of UX design. Just as 90% of modern stories are rewritten Bible stories, most UX design books are rewrites of this one.

I do not recommend starting your UX design journey with this book; it’s better to read “User-Friendly” by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant, as it is more user-friendly, ha-ha. But if you have one or more years of experience in the profession, it can be fascinating to read this groundbreaking book, which is the source of many modern design approaches.

I totally understand both perspectives: those who believe you MUST read “The Design of Everyday Things” and those who think it is outdated. However, I believe that it cannot be considered outdated, just as “On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin cannot be outdated. Yes, the theory has received some updates, but it is still worth reading the original Ҩ #books

29 Things I’ve Learnt Over 29 Years

Usually I post things I've learned each year on my birthday, but New Year's is also a great time to share them.

https://karoza.medium.com/29-ov-29-b64ffccd126e