Weeknote 17: Pen-and-Paper Thinking, External Motivation, and a Sculpture Party

Distrusting Inspirational Content · Extrinsic Motivation · AI vs Human Thinking · Complex Code Planning · Beeminder · Sculpture Making · Flow State

Brought back pen + paper for complex coding project

Handwritten ledger notes show a response loop, possible actions, and a release safety checklist.

### AI gives us tunnel vision

I previously wrote about the importance of surface area in thinking and creating.

AI agents remove surface area. You aren’t reading the files; you aren’t touching the text editor. You’re talking to a chat stream.

This can be practical, but it’s low-dimensional. It can feel like tunnel vision, like the only way to change your project is through this linear chat.

When I add surface area—keeping documents open, going into my text editor—I feel freer. I can see multiple aspects of my project at once. I can move around, change documents directly.

But paper is even more freeing. It’s multidimensional. You can interact with the paper in total freedom. You can draw squiggles, dashes, and dots, add shading, or tear the paper. This freedom helps you group ideas to see new connections.

Multidimensional thinking is a human advantage

I think this is analogous to how transformers helped LLMs progress. LLMs could only move forward one word at a time—a purely one-dimensional process. Then transformers helped the LLMs understand how each word in a sentence connects to another.*

But humans have the ability to think in many dimensions (using this word loosely). When we use AI to outsource our thinking, we remove this advantage we have over AI.

*My AI proofreader protested me writing this because he said it’s not technically correct, but we’re still going to use it as an analogy.

Synthesizing the ideas of my ledger project

I had been struggling with organizing my plans for my ledger project for weeks now. I finally stopped being lazy, took out my notebook, and organized the ideas.

Ledger project flowchart overview showing the response loop and connected outcomes. — Before, ideas are connected through crisscrossed lines, making the concepts hard to follow.

Ledger payment flowchart showing payment evidence checks, success and failure outcomes, stalled payouts, and safe resubmission rules. — After I reorganized and simplified the flowchart, the lines are easier to follow, so the flow is clear.

Deepwork leaderboard update

I’m back to consistently using the deepwork leaderboard since returning from LA.

This week: 18h 32m
Month to date: 57h 11m

I like seeing my cousin Ayal and his girlfriend Ari pop up when I’m working.

Deepwork leaderboard showing Ayal Bark, Noah, Dashiell Bark-Huss, and Ari Ziegler as active users.

External motivation: Beeminder

The deepwork leaderboard gives me external motivation to do focused work. But I needed something for non-deepwork.

I started using Beeminder. You give Beeminder your goal, and it charges your card when you miss your deadline. For every deadline you miss, it will charge you larger penalties. I have one goal where the penalty starts at $5 and goes up to $270.

In addition to financial incentives, you can include your goal on the Featured page for public accountability.

Beeminder Featured page showing a grid of users' goals and progress charts. — Beeminder Featured page

I have a goal for consistently working out and one for collecting sleep data.

Beeminder workouts goal showing three completed workouts toward a five-per-week target. — If I don't hit my workout goal, I will pay $5. It currently says $0 because I gave myself a 7-day head start.

Sculpture-Making Party

I hosted a sculpture-making party for Daniel’s birthday at my house. We had everyone bring garbage and make sculptures out of it.

I made a camera obscura.

My cardboard-box camera obscura.

Shlomo made this sexually assaulting vacuum cleaner, which we left in my parents' living room.

A cardboard and fabric android sculpture built around a vacuum cleaner stands on a living-room floor. — Yes, the vacuum has a boner.

The group made a tower.

We also left the tower as a surprise on our neighbors' lawn.

A person crouches beside the tall cardboard tower sculpture on a neighbor's lawn at night.

I’m more skeptical of inspirational content than I used to be, and maybe that’s bad

What I used to think was altruistic advice now seems like a sales pitch.

Codie Sanchez writes inspiring content, but all of it points to exactly the concept her courses teach. Gary Vee posts inspiring content, and it all leads back to more marketing, which his agency sells. When they boil something down like all billionaires do one thing, and it’s the thing I teach, can you believe them?

But maybe my younger self—the self that would have believed—was better off. At least she was hopeful, listened to the content, and put something into practice.

It’s like religion. Religion says if people do this good deed, they will go to heaven. Maybe they won’t go to heaven, but they still did something good, and they felt good doing it. Maybe they are better off trusting?

Podcast Episode about Flow

This episode of Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik explores advances in our understanding of the flow state, how AI can disrupt it, and how to protect it without leaving the 21st century.

Listen to “Flow Expert: The Secret to Peak Focus, Creativity, and Performance”.