Task Ambiguity Is the Root of All Evil

Reminder that most of the work you intend on doing for a given task is probably not necessary.

I'm definitely exaggerating here, but tasks being ambiguous cause our monkey brains to do a shit ton of unnecessary work.

For example, my tasks I'd like to get done are

- [>] prepare for my meetings today priority:H due:2026-06-30
- [>] create project half pager #1 priority:H due:2026-06-30
- [>] write up a paragraph on what my explicit goals/skills i want to gain are for generator to include in my docs priority:H due:2026-06-30
- [>] identify how to "look stupid at lunch", use lunches to improve my strategy priority:H due:2026-06-30
- [>] respond to comments on my CoS and send it to a colleague for feedback priority:H due:2026-06-30
- [>] get the feedback needed on my projects to move forward (a colleague's feedback on CoS + another colleague) AND (someone else who'd be able to be critical of the constellation project)

if i'm not careful, prepare for my meetings can take the shape of:

• read their personal website (to get a sense of what they're like)
• draft up a nicely formatted meeting doc
• write up a massive document on the agenda, context for the meeting
• go on a run to clear my head
• talk to my friends in the office (about whom I'm meeting with)
• drink tea

You get the picture. If I do not know exactly what the purpose of the task is, it is very easy for me to waste time.

If I instead make the task more specific:

• Preparing for my meeting means, I have gotten my todos out of my todo list, put them into a very quick meeting agenda, and told them when and where we're going to meet. This is something that should take, at most, 10 minutes to complete.

You are a predator animal. When you are doing work, you should feel like you are on the hunt. Make explicit what your task is, when you're going to be done, and only do the things that will get it done. Don't do more, don't be passive.