Friction is the Feature

Each day I rewrite my mental models.

In 2013, I started journaling. By 2019, I shared 100 Rules To Live By.

The list is a lot shorter seven years later.

Rewriting is natural selection for ideas.

If an idea isn’t worth the effort of rewriting, it drops off the list.

Only high-signal ideas survive.

What I select for:

  1. Signal — Usefulness.
  2. Economy — Ideas that take too long to write get compressed or removed.
  3. Frequency of Use — A mental model used multiple times a day is more valuable than one used once a year.

I also rewrite 5-year goals on a daily basis. Same principle.

If a goal isn’t worth rewriting daily, you probably don’t want it enough.

Reviewing is passive. Rewriting is active.

Writing adds friction.

Friction tends to be a bug. Here, friction is the feature.

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What is your most useful mental model?