[criley]

I reject the idea that optimization leads to burnout. If you're consciously thinking about ALL of those variables at once, yes, you will achieve burnout.

But the entire point of life optimization isn't to sit around thinking about all of this, it's to build healthy habits that allow our "autopilot" to pilot us down previously consciously decided paths.

You should be unconsciously a better person after reinforcing new healthy habits, quite identical to your final phrase of "wake up, eat," etc.

If you're burning out with optimization, you are literally doing it wrong.

[obviouslygreen]

I've done this myself to a point, but the point I'm making is that there's so much of this flying around and so much debate about so many often-unsubstantiated 'optimizations' that there's often not any real reason to believe they are optimizations.

And if they're not, people are going to waste a lot of time trying to learn new habits, then find out that they are no better off or perhaps worse, except now they're stuck with new, bad habits to unlearn.

My argument is less with optimization than with spending too much time and effort attempting it without actually gaining anything, or having a reasonable expectation of the same.

[umsm]

> they're stuck with new, bad habits to unlearn.

I think the point of this is not to optimize for the sake of optimization but to solve a problem. People have problems and they look for solutions. They try anything that can help once all else fails.

[maroun]

I absolutely agree. At the end of the day what matters the most is whether you can do something consistently. That's what produces results and leads to change.

The more you have to "work" to lead a healthy life the less likely it is that you'll stay consistent. Find what works for you and incorporate it into your routine.