Caffeine and Courage: Activation Energy and Action Bias Compounded
As a creative founder, I've become fascinated by the concept of activation energy. It's the spark that ignites my creative process, the push I need to start writing, brainstorming, or even hitting the gym.
Activation energy is the initial burst of effort needed to kickstart momentum towards a goal. In my experience, it's the difference between staying stuck and building an unstoppable creative flywheel.
When I made the leap from creator to creative founder, I discovered that generating and maintaining creative thoughts required significant effort. To keep my creative wheels turning, I needed to develop a system - what I call my "creative stack."
My Creative Stack: A Two-Pillar Approach
Through trial and error, I've built my creative stack around two core mental models:
Activation Energy
Action Bias
This stack is my personal experiment in maximizing creative potential and living vigorously through my ideas. Let me break down how each component works for me.
Activation Energy: My Creativity Launchpad
Activation energy, for me, represents the effort required to initiate a series of actions. It's like the energy needed to get myself to the gym—once I'm there, the workout flows naturally.
I've found that the key is minimizing the perceived "needs" standing between me and my creative endeavors. My goal is to make starting a writing session, recording a podcast, or diving into a brainstorming session as effortless as possible.
For instance, I've discovered that a few cups of coffee are usually all I need to lower my activation energy. I've experimented with music, physical activity, and even specific environments, but coffee is my personal catalyst. The important thing is finding what makes you tick—your own unique trigger for creative action.
Action Bias: My Engine for Progress
Action bias is the second pillar of my creative stack. It's my tendency to lean towards action rather than inaction, to favor doing over planning.
I've noticed that leaders like Jeff Bezos use this model to promote decisiveness and quick decision-making. In my own experience, I've found that I learn best through doing and even failing, rather than excessive planning.
When a creative idea strikes, my action bias kicks in. I drop everything else—schedules, plans, even meals can wait. I've learned that most decisions are reversible "two-way doors," so I'm not afraid to dive in and course-correct later if needed.
Synergy in Action: How I Combine These Models
In my creative process, activation energy is the push that gets me started, while action bias keeps me going. Here's how I use them together:
I focus on lowering my activation energy for key habits. For me, that often means ensuring I have my coffee ready to go.
Once I start, I lean into my action bias. I try to maintain momentum by making quick decisions and focusing solely on the task at hand.
I compound these effects by creating an environment that supports both low activation energy and high action bias. This might mean setting up my workspace the night before or blocking out uninterrupted time for creative work.
What I love about this approach is how it creates a self-reinforcing cycle. The more I act, the easier it becomes to start acting (lowering activation energy), which in turn makes it easier to keep acting (strengthening action bias).
My Personal Takeaways
Through developing and refining this creative stack, I've learned:
Understanding your personal catalysts is crucial. Coffee might not work for you, but there's likely something that does.
Embracing action often leads to more insights than endless planning.
Creating systems that support your creative process is as important as the creative work itself.
Remember, this is what works for me—your mileage may vary. The joy of being a creative founder is in experimenting and finding your own unique approach. I encourage you to play with these concepts, adapt them, and discover the creative stack that unleashes your best work.
I hope you've found this post helpful.
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The read for the day :)