Don't Think. Don't Even Think. Think And You're Dead.

The Doctor's Warning

I'm a firm believer that whenever a binary option is presented- man or woman, living or dead, Republican or Democrat- the truth is that there's a spectrum behind it. The option is not one point or another, rather it's some area or direction. That's not new- we know about moderate this and extreme that. But I want to talk about applying that not new idea to a very challenging binary: Production.

We are all faced with a choice. To produce or not to produce. I could argue it's the same as "To be or not to be", but I'll save that for some other time. With the aforementioned examples we could measure physiological characteristics, poetic interpretations of a life well lived, opinions on several issues. It's very hard, however, to measure- at least in meaningful increments- the spectrum that is behind that choice. 

There is a spectrum, though. And that spectrum has very good arguments at both ends when considering something you want produced. There's the Nike way: You can jump right in make something very quickly and you would technically be producing but your production wouldn't be very good. But that's okay because what you wanted to "Just Do It" and you just did it. There's also the anxiety way, though: you could hold back patiently and really think about what you want to produce. When you do produce it that production will probably be superior quality to the Nike approached production. 

But how do you measure that? How many axes are involved? Do they exclude each other? There are an infinite number of moments between idea and product, but only two meaningful states: The thing is either is or is not. So I don't think we can measure someone who isn't producing. I think the data we need to have available includes the number of productions, the time to completion, and the quality of that work.

By this measure, I land very far to the anxiety end. That's why I call it that, really. It could just as easily be called the wisdom, prudence, or prepared method, but those wouldn't be self deprecating enough for me. It's not a bad end to to be on. Obviously, being an extreme would be terrible- we're not talking about OCD or anxiety attacks. I think I'm closer to Turing, Plato, and Newton than those people whose name are not remembered because things didn't go according to plan and they never accomplished their dream. The world is built by Nikes, though, and each of those men had to have some productions to get to the starting points of their journeys to things we keep today.

I don't think I have to be anywhere near the middle- planning isn't shameful, but I do think I want to be closer than I am. I want to find a balance between doing and planning because I suspect that the two are not actually exclusive. I suspect the people who do great things also do crappy things. I think a balance will look like producing some things knowing that they will be poor quality. This is acceptable- I'm not being judged on these theoretical things. They exist only so that I can be constantly producing something. That way when I want to be patient and prudent I know how not to sacrifice anything but producing that thing which I want to be great. And I don't think the long plans will be jeopardized by it- not if I'm moderate about this.

So that's why I'm blogging now. Because I want no more zero days.

And to that end, I won't even think. If I have nothing to say, I will say that.

Every day will be a something day. Not all of those somethings are for the public, but more than half will be. I'd wager most days will be worthless to others, but I've been wrong before. I wonder how Randall Munroe felt at the start of xkcd. Did he dare to think that what he was doing would mean something to someone else? His site didn't show it: No ad, no pushing of merch, no requests for donations. Maybe it was something meant only to measure non-zero days that went on to inspire God only knows how many people.

Ahhh! I'm doing it! I was about to start editing this and rationalize finishing tomorrow. No. Think and you're dead. I have to be faster than the Weeping Angel of "This could be better". I don't care if it's better. I just want it to exist.