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Different Kinds of Effort
Taking action is hard because it requires effort. Some things feel easy, while others feel difficult. This is a reason we don't always act on our plans.
But, maybe the problem is that we have combined distinct issues under the same label of "effort": physical fatigue, attention control, automaticity, self-control. If we could separate them, we might be able to ease the effort required to take action.
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Paying attention seems to be linked to effort, since deliberate control of attention take effort.
Focus is only hard if we're trying to focus. If our attention is held automatically, focus is not an effort.
Effort represents an investment of a fixed resource, like calories.
For this reason, running takes more effort than sitting. It takes more calories and strains muscles and joints. If you run non-stop, you will need to eat more to stay alive, and you will wear your muscles out.
You can look at effort in the context when you need to make a choice that involves internal conflict. Part of you wants to eat more, while the other part thinks you shouldn't.
Internal conflict requires you to move "uphill" or resist the easy flow.
Effort could be seen as the opposite of something we do automatically. Effort then is what happens when we try to override an automatic pattern.
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Any goal or project will usually have these basic qualities:
- A general ambition or motivation. (e.g. learn French)
- A specific target. (e.g. speak fluently)
- A time-frame or deadline. (e.g. in 6 months)
- Constraints or methods. (e.g...
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What makes something effortful? For example, why is it harder to do a math problem than play a video game?
Understanding how effort works is essential. Many of our goals will require a lot of it. If we have the wrong view on how effort works, many of our systems will fail ...
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Motivation is just a kind of system.
If you can understand the system, you can change it and use it to gain a better outcome.
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