202207162121 - { The Top Idea in Your Mind

Title: The Top Idea in Your Mind
URL: http://www.paulgraham.com/top.html
author: & Paul Graham
bib:
tags: #tactic

The problem is that once you start raising money, raising money becomes the top idea in your mind. That becomes what you think about when you take a shower in the morning. And that means other questions aren't.
You can't directly control where your thoughts drift. If you're controlling them, they're not drifting. But you can control them indirectly, by controlling what situations you let yourself get into. That has been the lesson for me: be careful what you let become critical to you. Try to get yourself into situations where the most urgent problems are ones you want to think about.
Even Newton fell into this trap. After publishing his theory of colors in 1672 he found himself distracted by disputes for years, finally concluding that the only solution was to stop publishing:
I see I have made myself a slave to Philosophy, but if I get free of Mr Linus's business I will resolutely bid adieu to it eternally, excepting what I do for my private satisfaction or leave to come out after me. For I see a man must either resolve to put out nothing new or become a slave to defend it.
just take a shower. What topic do your thoughts keep returning to? If it's not what you want to be thinking about, you may want to change something.