Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof

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I tend to chase the “why” quite deeply. I don’t just want a “do this, do that”. That’s a source of strength at times, other times a source of stress.

Certain things need to get done, and don’t need to be analyzed to death before starting out. In those cases, flow might be more valuable than intent. Get going, do the first step. Then consider the next.

I think the goal here is to somehow pick/balance intent and flow. And I don’t think there’s a conclusive answer to that. Experience will help, and making sure both flow and intent get some room will help.

I find this verse helpful to break out of paralysis, and allow for flow to enter:

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

(Matthew 6:34, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_6:34)

We don’t have to solve for everything today. I don’t have to solve for everything today. I can’t, actually. What I can do is accept my limitations, and work within those.

And I find it funny that I’m writing this down. Analysing the limitations of limitations, in order to bring flow. Yet, I did just do it in the sense that I just sat down to write this.

https://go.teod.eu/ was meant to be my tool for starting the day without worrying too much about the next. I thought I could visit it daily to read the content. But … i don’t really find it interesting, because there’s just consumption in re-reading the same things each morning. Perhaps if I could change things without reaching for a computer, I’d use it more. But then I’d need a sort of UI. I already have my weeknotes, so there’s a live example already.

I think the following makes sense:

  1. The goal is a balance between deep intent and flow. Sometimes you really need to know the why. Other times you’ll need to start moving.
  2. Both deep intent and flow have potentially amazing second order effects. Deep intent enables introspection. Intent can analyze intent; intent can break out of wrong intent. Flow both produces the thing, and increases the skill of producing the thing. Even if you made the wrong thing, the skill you built making the wrong thing will be useful afterwards.
  3. Put nonzero amounts of intent and flow into your day. Zero intent means you have no idea where you’re going. Zero flow means you aren’t going anywhere. You need both a goal and a means of getting there, and the skills to set a goal and get there.

And give yourself some grace. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. You may fail today, and you can’t avoid failing today. Accept that; then make the best move you see.