Identifying a fallback in advance that you can use for days when you’re stuck in a rut or just generally feel off track is enormously helpful. For me, a common fallback is doing my daily Anki practice. It’s easy enough that there isn’t much friction to getting started, but after the 20 or so minutes of doing it, it usually gets me in the zone to do more cognitively straining things. Other helpful fallbacks that I use if I’ve already done my Anki: improvising guitar (or just playing some scales), journaling, reading, biking, 10 push-ups.
Helpful characteristics of a good fallback:
- Low friction to getting started
- Importantly, it should require minimal willpower to get started.
- Gently nudges you back in the general direction you want to be in or puts you in the right state of mind to start moving back in that general direction yourself