Why is it so hard to be consistent? There are a lot of things I want to do in life. Write actually good stuff. Create something valuable. Run a 50 minute 10k. I’ve known for a long time that the only path towards doing things well is consistency. I still find it extremely hard to keep myself accountable.

There is one common trap I have fallen into many times. It’s easy for me to try hacks to get me to do the thing that I’m supposed to do. There aren’t many productivity hacks that I haven’t started with enthusiasm and given up on.

This newsletter is an example of inconsistency. It’s hard work to find actual things to write about every week. There’s no alternative way of writing well other than sitting down and actually writing things. I’ve come to the conclusion that I just need to sit down and actually do the hard rounds, instead of trying to find an easy solution to these things.

I’m also hoping that the insights in James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” will help me a little. In the long run, willpower loses to environment. I need to find a way to make the work a habit. I’ve done it in the past, with running for example. Let’s see how it goes for other things.

What did I do this week?

• What I read: Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman. This book condenses a lot of value into small 5 minute chapters. I think at least 60-70% of this is stuff I already know, but still the writing style makes it a fun read.

• What I listened to: Cheat Codes by Danger Mouse & Black Thought. Album of the Year 2022 for me. I like everything Danger Mouse does.

• Code I wrote: Outside of work things, I spent time playing with OpenAI’s whisper model. Nothing to show yet, but it’s quite cool.