How can I create more time? The answer lies in simulation. But first, I need to design it!
This approach is inspired by Alan Kay’s thoughts on simulating and controlling time:
Alan Kay - Rethinking Design, Risk, and Software
We want to control time. We do not want the CPU to control time. We want to control time, and we’ll do it by simulating our own time.
Kay elaborates on simulating time with deterministic ‘ticks’ in another talk:
How to Invent the Future II - Stanford CS183F
What the (Simula 67) people realized that they wanted to do was compute in between the system clock ticks… the computing was actually outside the space of the simulation.
(Simula 67)… would compute an arbitrary amount in between each state change… settle down the state of each one of these objects… as soon as that had happened then it would say okay now I can go to the next time on the clock… then the clock could be frozen, would compute like mad again, advance the clock again.
The way this intertwines with doing real-time and deterministic computing… what you usually do is you’re saying I have some limits that I want to guarantee the computation is going to take place in between.
Inspired by this, creating time involves three steps: designing it, simulating it, and building it.
How do I design time? By designing my ideal lifestyle, mindset, and behaviors.
How do I simulate time? By building a software simulation. Within it, I can model different scenarios, manipulate variables, and accelerate time to test potential lifestyle designs quickly.
How do I build time? This is implementation. Based on insights from the simulation, I create systems—often software—that automate tasks or structure my life according to the most effective design, saving or creating time.
How do I accomplish this?
- Lifestyle Design: Define the ideal.
- Lifestyle Simulation: Model and test the design.
- Lifestyle Implementation: Build systems based on the results.
First, I design my ideal lifestyle: schedule, habits, mindset.
Next, I simulate this lifestyle, incorporating variables like meetings (including prep time), task completion rates, and other predictable or unpredictable events.
Finally, analyzing the simulation’s results helps identify the most effective lifestyle structure. I then create an implementation plan, often tracked with software.