Welcome to Deep Dives, where we explore a powerful, yet barely discussed, path to a clear head and relaxed control: managing buffers. Drawing on Donella Meadows’ systems thinking, we examine how a buffer acts as the quiet capacity that absorbs shocks, transforming a potential cascade of friction into a minor inconvenience.

This approach connects deeply with the goal of creating a reliable, trusted system that helps you stay in a "mind-like-water" state as much as possible. We dive into the practical systems that help eliminate friction and reduce the small annoyances that would otherwise be time-consuming, stressful, and emotionally draining.

On Deep Dives, you will learn how to build systems around reality, such as accepting frequent item loss and equipping valuable possessions—like keys, wallets, bags, and coats—with tracking devices. We explore the strategy of keeping spares of frequently used items, such as favorite pens or drinking bottles, and maintaining a backup stock of consumables, including toilet paper, shampoo, and essential food items. By adopting this approach, running out of supplies or losing an item stops being an emergency and instead becomes a small maintenance task.

The ultimate aim is not to become a hyper-optimized person, but to reclaim the attention that is currently being taxed by preventable friction. We show you how managing buffers removes the tiny resentments of everyday life that can quietly tax your emotional bandwidth, allowing you to function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control.

Find the Substack article here: https://open.substack.com/pub/thomaskliemt/p/managing-buffers-a-little-known-path?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web