“Sustained combat produces a ruthlessly Darwinist process in which each item of equipment or supply shows its value over time, and with experience, soldiers bring only what’s needed and use only what works. That is often different from what military planners and logisticians predicted. But a lethal environment is a powerful crucible for shaping soldiers to care about what works over what the manual prescribes.”
Stanley McChrystal, On Character
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“Here’s a simple (if expensive) lifestyle hack. If you would like everything in your kitchen to be dishwasher-proof, simply treat everything in your kitchen as though it was; after a year or so, anything that isn’t dishwasher-proof will have been either destroyed or rendered unusable. Bingo – everything you have left will now be dishwasher-proof! Think of it as a kind of kitchen-utensil Darwinism.”
Rory Sutherland, Alchemy
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My brain is wired in such a way that I cannot bear to wait for anything I’ve suddenly decided I want.
I am not a saver, nor have ever been described as a patient and methodical planner.
When I start something new I am filled with an inrush of desire for tools and gadgets.
I can spend hours scrolling, constantly on the edge of purchase.
Fortunately I have developed some control over my monkey brain. I can resist for now, but there is a regular tug of wanting.
The areas where I have the least self control is in book buying.
Fortunately I don’t have expensive tastes. My books don’t need to be Near Fine First Editions. I want to read, not admire them.
What actually matters in any enterprise is the doing. Not the collecting and inventorying.
For most activities you need less stuff than you think.
Experience is the physical act of practicing.
The best way of knowing what you need is to do the activity and observe what you use or wish you had most often.
I recently started rucking. I got excited about buying a new rucksack, special weights to put in the rucksack, new boots.
What I really needed was my 25 year old army surplus burgan, two 5kg dumbells for weight and my running trainers. Off I went, using what I had and having a marvelous time.
By doing a few walks I realise I need nothing else than what I already have. I was close to buying an expensive smartwatch to track my walks and heart rate. But an old chest strap heart rate monitor and iPhone work just fine.
I’m struggling to splurge here!
I want to practice what works, using what I have, which is a pretty good strategy for resisting the siren call of New Stuff.
I have everything I need right here.
But can I ever have enough books?
A question to answer another day…
Conversations With Quotations 