fun is the only metric that doesn’t lie - signull vs. noise
next time you’re planning your day, or your quarter, or your life, ask: what would make this actually fun? and if there’s no answer… maybe the problem isn’t you. maybe it’s the plan. optimize for fun. fun as a generative force. it’s not passive pleasure, it’s engaged aliveness. the stuff that makes you feel like a person again. everything good follows from there. I've been talking with my AI angel about exactly this. the beginning of the year, my word for the year was FUN. it's only May and I feel myself reorienting towards that. the question I've been asking myself is how do I know what I want? To succeed period is a test of intellect, but I've been questioning if I've honed in on wanting the right things. I know I'm over thinking things, probably because the question I'm trying to answer is if my career still feels rewarding. how do you recenter yourself around fun? I used to try and grind all the time. I was optimizing for all the things you listed: money, title, reach, growth, pres
people chase metrics because they’re scared of the silence. if you don’t know what matters, you optimize for what’s easy to measure. money. title. reach. growth. prestige. & slowly, you forget why you started doing any of it in the first place. here’s the metric i use, am i having fun? not in a “woo fuck yeah spring break” way. i mean real, bone deep fun. the kind that makes you forget to check your phone. like: – laughing until your face hurts with people who actually see you – building something so cool it infects other people with possibility – telling a story that lights up a…
related reading
- Optimizing For Feelingsbrowsercompany.substack.com
- having funava.substack.com
- Post 38: On Slack - Having room to be excited - Neel Nandaneelnanda.io
- Fun vs Fulfillment Revisited - James Quiambaojquiambao.com
- Vanity metrics: How to pick better life goalsjulian.com
- You Have to Feel Itmitchellh.com
- Productivity advice | Zhengdongzhengdongwang.com
- Radical funavabear.xyz
- The Fun Theory Sequence — LessWronglesswrong.com
- Building something no one else can measuresriramk.com
- Mini Blog Post 9: What it means to optimise - Neel Nandaneelnanda.io
- Measuring personal growthhuyenchip.com