Spotless Kitchens And a Clear Mind

Plus: Seven Things on data rugs, prompts for humans, global weather and more

Hello friends!

Here’s what’s in this edition:

• One — A story about bias to action in practice

• Two — Seven Things on data rugs, prompts for humans, global weather and more

• Three — Extras from the past

1. Two Minutes For a Spotless Kitchen and a Clear Mind

Kitchen dreams of the past (ChatGPT)

Nobody likes to clean. That's why finding a place spotless is so impressive. As a young tween I picked up a friend from her parents' house. While i waited, I couldn't help but notice just how spotless the kitchen was. No, it wasn't new, my friend told me. Her mum had a rule: If an action took less than two minutes, she'd do it right there an then without another thought. That was the secret to her effortlessly sparkling hob.

'Bias to action'. It's one of those phrases that pop up in job descriptions or motivational speeches, often hinting at a no-nonsense, get-stuff-done attitude. Picture a bustling office environment where 'bias to action' is the mantra. It sounds good, but what does it mean in practice, and is it always a good thing?

In the corporate world, 'bias to action' can sometimes feel like a polite way of saying, 'We're all swamped here, so figure things out on your own, please.' In the entrepreneurial sphere, it's synonymous with hustling hard, being relentless, and making things happen against all odds. While the intention is to encourage proactive behaviour, it often outshines the importance of strategic thinking and reflection. After all, not all actions lead to desirable outcomes, especially when they're made in haste.

What we need is a litmus test for when to jump into action and when to take pause. Consider the cost of action versus inaction. If your brain is going to nag you about something until you just do it, maybe it's worth tackling it straight away to save yourself the mental space. It's about finding that sweet spot where your actions are both considered and timely, reducing the endless to-do list in your head to a whisper.

Of course, there's a threshold. At a certain point, the stakes are too high for a 'just do it' approach and thoughtful deliberation is non-negotiable. Trusting your gut has its place, but so does a good old pros and cons list.

Reducing time to action for inevitable tasks

Today the two-minute rule is still my favourite implementation of ‘bias to action’. It's amazing what you can decide to do in the last few minutes of your day if you know you’ll have to do it eventually anyways. Sending that quick email you've been putting off? Done. And when a positive reply comes the next day, it's a small reminder that sometimes, the little actions make the greatest difference.

Be it washing up that lone cup on your kitchen counter, greasing that squeaky door hinge, or writing that person that’s kept cropping up in your mind lately - try the two-minute rule this week and let me know how you get on. Just remember, the goal is to make life simpler by tackling inevitable actions early, not to turn it into an endless sprint.

2. Seven Things I thought were worth sharing

1. Personal Growth: A large part of personal growth is understanding one’s own biases, so I’ve enjoyed this deep dive on Sturgeon’s Bias, which says that 90% of everything is crap. It came to be in the world of sci-fi. The video takes it to the corporate context. But really it applies to all kinds of situations. Being more aware of it has helped me get less easily frustrated.

2. Creator Showcase: This one comes as a reader submission from Jeremiah Krage, which I love! Here’s how he describes it: “I create office shelf-sized sculptures in my UK studio that celebrate and encourage those who aspire to greatness, who are willing to engage in challenging and redefining their own limitations. Inspired by how we write prompts to direct the outputs of an AI like ChatGPT, I created a series of ceramic sculptures designed to act as physical ‘prompts for humans who want motivation to take ambitious action.” These things are tactile, earthy, and gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!

3. Illustration: Much of the US has been in eclipse-fever lately. In homage to this rare celestial event I am re-sharing Agnes Giberne’s stunning vintage illustrations of the solar system.

4. Technology: The first glimpse at the Metaverse that’s actually technically impressive. I’m not sure I’d prefer a robot-like representation of my parents over a weekly Skype call. Still, I had to admit it seems much more mature than what Zuckerberg initially revealed.

5. Design: There are many ‘first principles’ in Design. Browse them all, from old-school classics to modern advice on a dedicated website.

6. Tools: Prompted by having to switch between different Google accounts all the time, I discovered a new browser as an alternative to Chrome. It’s called Arc, and so far, I’ve had a good time with it as it lets me set up different parallel ’spaces’. It also has many other features that seem obvious in retrospect but that no other browser has, making the internet a lot more fun to navigate again.

7. Fun web things: Weather Spark lets you explore and compare the year-round weather of any place on Earth. I’ve recently moved out of London, and it was fun to see the changes a short distance can bring (1 degree colder but sunnier on average).

3. Extras from the past

Since we’ve had a few dozen curious readers sign up recently I thought you might enjoy additional links to the best of the past of Seven Things. Here are the top of the 59 issues so far:

1. Frenetic Standstill

2. Cosmic Insignificance Therapy

3. Encrouagement > Ability

4. Becoming a Morning Person For a More Meaningful Life