Perfect Machines

The idea behind Perfect Machines is not that we're perfect; it's exactly the opposite. We are imperfect, and this thought is to treat our improvement like a software project: define goals, track progress, celebrate wins.

What Is Perfect?

First, it's a goal that we will never reach. This is one of those cases where the journey is more important than the destination.

Second, it's up to you! You get to decide what to strive for, or what areas to improve. Some places to start:

• Health and Fitness: We should all be healthier!
• Financially: Reduce costs, increase income, start saving and investing
• Empathy: Work to understand and relate to more people across a wider range
• Maturity: Work to respond appropriately to the needs, wants, and failings of our friends, families, communities, and selves.
• Language: I spent a year focusing on changing my responses from "That's stupid why would you do it like that?" to "I see some ways we could optimize this". People like the softer language better.
• Maybe you want to get better at cooking? At sex, or Mortal Kombat, or spitting farther if that's your thing.

The point is real improvement takes real work, and the word "work" reminds me of my job – which is software engineering. So let's treat this like a job.

The Process Is Always The Same

1. Identify what you want to improve.

   health and physical fitness

2. Specify what you want to improve. Document where you're at. Write down a goal. Make a plan to get to that goal.

   I get tired after bicycling about 16 miles. I want to bicycle 20 miles before I get tired. I will bicycle minimum 5-10 miles most days to increase conditioning until I hit that 20 miles goal.

3. Put in the work.

   I like bicycling anyway.

4. Monitor progress.

   Strava keeps track of progress. Remember to use the app and record all workouts.

5. Address issues that are impeding progress.

   Strava's numbers were off because it had to assume some variables, so I got a heart rate monitor to make the data better.

6. Celebrate the win!

   gonna get there eventually I swear

So What?

I don't know. This is a thought I had back in 2010 when I registered the domain. It took 16 years to even write out this minimal description.

For me, I hope to use this idea to work on some aspects of myself.