It currently seems like the best technique I've discovered for increasing focus and productivity, energy levels, and personal happiness has been having a baby (or technically, my wife having a baby.)
At work, I work. I no longer "require" lengthy breaks to go on walks or read LessWrong at my desk. My daughter needs food and diapers, and she needs my attention when I'm at home in the evenings, which means I need to get my work done efficiently and with high quality, and I need to get it done while I'm at work so my mind is free at home.
It's a common belief that having a small baby makes the parents exhausted all the time. This happens some nights, but your body gets used to waking up during the night, and you make small sacrifices like going to be earlier. I generally feel no more exhausted than I did when I was single and staying up way too late watching movies and reading internets every night.
I am a pretty physically lazy person, or I used to be. For example, it was fairly typical that if I was thirsty or needed to use the rest room, I would avoid getting up off the couch until the need became quite uncomfortable. Since having a baby, I have essentially been unable to remain sitting in one position for more than, perhaps, half an hour, so I simply don't have this inertial lethargy anymore. If I'm thirsty, I get a glass of water.
Generally, most things don't bother me anymore. I've had confrontations recently which, in the past, would have ruined my week, but now they don't even effect my mood.
I suppose it's a huge cliche, but I think the fact is that my daughter is my something to protect and thus an unexpected source of personal superpowers. The power of a role to be filled is extremely motivating, and luckily I have a highly positive cached expectation for the role of "father."
(I hesitated to post this because I feel like there is a bias against reproduction on LessWrong. I feel like at least some group of people is going to read "motivated cognition" into my claim that having a baby improved my life. I would respond - even if that's true, so what?)
I feel like there is a bias against reproduction on LessWrong.
Is there? I kinda hope not.
This is the public group instrumental rationality diary for the week of October 29th. It's a place to record and chat about it if you have done, or are actively doing, things like:
Or anything else interesting which you want to share, so that other people can think about it, and perhaps be inspired to take action themselves. Try to include enough details so that everyone can use each other's experiences to learn about what tends to work out, and what doesn't tend to work out.
Thanks to everyone who contributes!
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