Unlock Your Peak Potential

As an analogy in computer science, if I want to maximize the potential of my toolbox, broadly I will optimize the hardware, the software, and the automation system. Optimized hardware enables software to run more efficiently. The ability to solve demanding problems depends on the quality of the software. Automation frees up resources, allowing them to be channeled toward more advanced tasks.

Our health is the hardware that supports our entire system. Without reliable hardware, the automation system and software cannot function at their peak. Therefore, regular maintenance and upgrading are necessary. If we want to reach our peak potential, good health is salient and non-negotiable. This also means that exercising is not a waste of time—neglecting it leads to inefficiency and breakdown, albeit not immediately.

If health is the hardware, cognitive ability is the software, which performs tasks, solves problems, and adapts to new challenges. The more advanced and optimized the software, the more complex tasks it can handle. We can augment our cognitive ability by continuously learning difficult concepts, developing new skills, and engaging in mental stimulation. Be warned, though, that a perfunctory approach in learning yields subpar performance—much like buggy source codes written half-heartedly.

Then comes habits as the automation system. We should optimize our "automation scripts" to perform tasks that align with our goals rather than deviating us from them. For example, reading books instead of scrolling through social media. "Debug" bad habits by identifying their triggers and distractions which are inimical and ubiquitous in the post-Industrial Revolution era, and replacing them with positive routines.

While health supports our ability to progress and build habits, positive habits facilitate gradual improvement, freeing up mental resources for higher-level tasks. This allows us to continuously learn and upgrade our brain to execute more complex tasks. Optimizing these three components ensures that our "system" runs at its peak potential while continuously improving.