Why is it so hard to stay focused on making a difference rather than spending frivolously on myself? How can I correct it?
that's a good one. It's going on the list. We have an upcoming series about happiness and career choice. The first (and one of the upcoming posts) are partially relevant. Drethelin's suggesting a good general strategy. If spending's the problem, you could also consider giving up on altruism in that domain, and making a difference in some other way. This is an example of macrooptimisation
How can you best use your time to make a difference?
80,000 Hours now has several people working full time on research, and they would like your questions!
We’re happy to consider any questions about how to effectively make a difference, in whatever sphere of your life – volunteering, career or donations. These questions could be at the conceptual or ethical level, or they could concern nitty-gritty practicalities.
We’re particularly interested in questions that are not already well addressed by other groups, and where there's significant opportunity for progress.
The most popular questions will receive the attention of our research team, and their findings will feature in our new careers guide.
Either post your questions below, or send them to careers@80000hours.org