De Optimization Techniques

While it seems to be a thing for most people to optimize every part of their life, to make every part of their life easier, faster, better, I’ve found that it’s often best to go in the other direction and de optimize parts of my life.

I call this De Optimization Techniques. The idea being that sometimes making my life a little harder actually makes it a little better.

This isn’t a completely new idea. The biggest de optimization techniques involve increasing my energy use - that is, my body’s calorie expenditure. You probably have heard some of these, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking the car further out so you walk more.

I’m always looking for more of these de optimization techniques. For instance, a few weeks ago I started putting my socks and shoes on while standing up rather than sitting down. And a few months ago I stopped using my hands to help me stand up or sit down - both on chairs and on the ground. I figure these will help me with my balance and flexibility.

I also try to take the longest (walking) path to wherever I am going. If the item in the store is in the left end of the store, I’ll walk around through the right and along the back to get it, then go back around to get to the registers. Of course, if for some reason I’m short on time, I’ll go direct, but I try to structure my day so I’m rarely in a hurry. And I have to not overdo it - the greatest distance between any two points is infinite.

There are probably more de optimization techniques I’ve yet to discover. I’m sure there’s plenty of things I’m doing the easy way that would better be done the hard way. Feel free to give your ideas in the comments below, or send me a message if you can find me on any of my socials.