Colin Wright - Act Accordingly: A Philosophical Framework

Y OU HAVE EXACTLY ONE LIFE in which to do everything you will ever do. Act accordingly.

This is a wonderful and versatile concept to live by. Not only does it put the focus on the fact that you only live once, and therefore should make decisions based on the span of time you have available (which will be different based on who you are and the life you live), but it also makes no assertions as to what decisions you should make based on that information.

For some people, act accordingly will mean jumping out of planes. For others, it will mean reading the complete works of Shakespeare. For others still, it will mean writing their own works, or playing a lot of Tetris, or eating pie. All of the pie.

This philosophy has been immensely liberating for me, because it helps me refocus on whats really important at any given moment, in any situation.

If Im trying to decide whether or not to take on a new client, I think about how many years I might have left and calculate whether the time traded for the money offered would be worth it. Would the payoff be worth the time given up? Would my overall happiness increase or decrease as a result? And would it bring me closer to my goals? Is there another way to get closer to those goals that doesnt involve taking on this client? Would the project involve personal suffering, and if so, would it be worth bearing for the reward?

Far more than just a phrase, acting accordingly is a framework for decision-making that places importance where it belongs: on you and how you spend your time within the context of your life.

I SPEND A WHOLE LOT of time trying to increase my level of freedom.

I dont mean increase my freedom as a political statement, nor as a religious or philosophical one. It means having more options to choose from in all aspects of my life.

In practice, this means you choose your path your beliefs, your relationships, your work in part based on how many options are provided or taken away. All else being equal, a job that would give you greater flexibility in terms of promotion would be better than the alternative, and the same goes for a philosophy. A set of beliefs and personal rules that allow for a great deal of evolution and growth are superior to ones that do not.

Even so, most people find themselves pulled toward strict philosophies with black and white responses to questions that require greyscale answers.

The popularity of these philosophies can be partially attributed to this Yes or No approach to answering very complicated questions. After all, who sounds more certain and confident: a person who answers your questions with absolute certainty, or someone who asks you a question in return?

Although the former may have a faster, more certain-sounding answer, its the latter person asking his or her question who is more likely to eventually provide an answer with subtlety and precision. The concept of one size fits all may be great when it comes to socks, but its a sad practice indeed when it comes to personal philosophies that shape the way we live our lives.

So if black and white isnt the way to go, what is?

To answer that question, let me ask you a question. Which is better: to have nice pots, pans, spatulas, and knives, or to be a skilled chef?

This isnt a trick question, and there isnt a hard and fast answer that will always be the right one. But in most cases, being an experienced chef is the superior option over simply having high-end cooking equipment.

A chef is a person who can take any cooking tools and wield them confidently. Chefs can turn raw materials even those of dubious quality into something edible, and more than likely something thats also a pleasure to eat. Theyre versatile. They can learn new tricks along the way and adjust their styles over time.

They are, above all else, capable when it comes to food. That capability is what makes the difference, not the tools they use. The right tools in the wrong hands are less valuable than the wrong tools in the right hands.

Capability is just as important when developing your philosophical framework. Not in exactly the same way very seldom are philosophical debates settled with a cook-off but because capability allows for immense versatility and malleability; two traits that are vital if youre going to have a rugged, all-purpose, ever-evolving philosophy.

I mentioned before that freedom is the focus of my time. If Im going to be capable of adjusting my trajectory as time goes by, Ill need to have a core that is as flexible and resilient as that goal. Something adaptable that will allow me to learn new things and make decisions based on the best available information.

If youre able to build such a structure one that bends in the wind, rather than stubbornly breaking you can fill it with simple concepts that then become magnetic north for your moral compass.

For me, act accordingly is a mantra of sorts. Doing so allows me to be in constant flux, but still strive for the best decision-making in a given situation. Whether Im reminding myself of how little time I have to make use of, or something more specific this pie is delicious and youre hungry, act accordingly it gives me permission to move forward while choosing the best path contextually, rather than based on preexisting rules that may or may not apply to my current situation.

To me, the best rules increase my level of freedom, rather than fence me in. They guide, rather than conceal. They add value, rather than take it away.

Thats what it means to roll with the punches. Thats what it means to act accordingly.

I T S EASY TO LOOK AT someone whos redefining their life, perhaps taking more time for themselves and their hobbies and the kind of work theyve always wanted to do, and say, Wow, when did they become so selfish? Why are they trying so hard to dodge their responsibilities and to avoid paying their dues like the rest of us?

Becoming a better version of yourself is not about selfishness or laziness. Its about optimization and self-improvement and taking the time to figure out what is best for you and those around you. It may mean doing a complete 180 in terms of priorities and where you expend your effort. It may mean skipping steps and dodging the usual hurdles that you, yourself, or life throws in your way.

Those who would look upon such actions as lazy are not taking in the big picture and are failing to realize that its not purposeless labor that makes someone productive or respectable. Its the result of that labor and the value it brings to others.

Is it noble to work 100 hours a week to accomplish what could be done in 40? Is it virtuous to spend 40 hours on a project that could be delivered in 10? Certainly not, yet for some reason we treat hard work as if its an end unto itself, rather than a means to an end. We should respect the value added, not the effort exerted. An ox in the field can plow a certain amount of acreage, but a human with a post-industrial machine can do 100 times as much in a quarter of the time. This should be celebrated, and so should redefining oneself to be more productive.

Of course, you have to make sure that as you redefine yourself and your lifestyle that you arent falling into bad habits along the way. Its incredibly easy to get caught up in the journey and lose sight of the goals, so its important to not only stay on track, but to reevaluate that track from time to time to make sure youre still on the right one.