The Visual8

AI loves data.

Even when data is not labeled, not refined, or not accompanied with instructions, it loves data. It cannot build a model of understanding without it.

But lets first understand one thing: data needs structure to be useful.

Data without structure is pure gibberish. Unusable. Pointless.

Math doesn’t work on gibberish. Data gets structure as a part of the AI process.

People need structure to makes sense of the world, too. We cannot agree on anything without it.

Our first order of business is to surround what we experience with structure.

Consider the following examples.

When vibrations of air stimulate our ear drums, we hear tones. The frequency of sound waves determines the pitch. We name the pitches with labels like C, D, E, F, G, A, or B. The act of labeling tones allows us to communicate with others who don’t hear them.

Astronomers measure the light around celestial bodies. The degree of red-shift determines how fast the galaxy is moving away from earth. Conversely, blue-shift occurs when the galaxy is moving toward the earth. The color and intensity of the light tells us speed and direction.

We sort animals into groups with similar features. Warm-blooded creatures, nursed on milk, with body hair, a four-chamber heart, and teeth are mammals. Putting different animals into a group is the act of naming a species.

Our physical address is entered into a form. Number, street, city, state, and zip code allow packages to meet us where we live. This standard is universally understood because we have agreed to the construct.

By now you see the pattern.

We create order with either numbers or words to describe experiences. We use those same labels to make conclusions.

AI is simply performing the same function, but faster and in larger scale.

Linear regression extends a trend line into the future from a series of data points. Clustering puts subscribers into cohorts so we can make recommendations to the cohort. We tokenize .pdf documents to understand the pattern of the most likely next word, next sentence, or next paragraph.

These are the principles used by data science to create productivity, efficiency, and convenience.

These core principles are older than you think.

Library sciences helps us find books by subject, title, and author. It was brought into existence centuries after the dawn of libraries. Melville Dewey didn’t create his decimal system until 1887. The Library of Ashurbanipal dates back to 7th century B.C.

The birth of biological taxonomies can be traced back to Egyptian wall paintings depicting medicinal plants. However, it wasn’t until 1735 that Carl Linnaeus published Systema Naturae, describing the plant world with binomial nomenclature. It serves as the foundation of modern taxonomy.

Structure enables us to be a functional member of society.

We experience structure in developing our intellectual life. We call this school.

We experience structure in developing skills. We call this practice.

We experience structure in developing healthy bodies. We call this diet and exercise.

However, when we aim at being exceptional, structure seems to be missing.

Where is the order of operations for emotional maturity?

What are the methods to elevate to higher levels of consciousness?

How are we to balance all of the roles we serve at work, at home, and in community and still have time for curiosity?

Without clear awareness of how we structure our time, we fail to make progress.

We just mindlessly run from event to event without getting to a destination. We jump from task to task without reaching new heights.

This gnawing ache for something better blooms when our life becomes routine. When life is like watching the same movie over and over.

When the weeks blur and the years fade.

Take a stepwise approach climb out of this sink hole.

Step one: Write a list of what you want to cultivate.

Think big. This is beyond setting goals for the next job or the bigger house.

What kind of person do you want to be? What kind of relationship do you want to have with loved ones? Or within the community?

What technical mastery do you want to be known for? What is the topic that you could explore for the rest of your life?

Write this list in free form. No judgement. Get it onto paper in one sitting or dozens of sittings.

This is one of those things that you cannot get wrong. It’s also one of those things that will change over time.

Just write it down.

Step Two: Narrow that list into 3-5 categories.

You will find that some concepts will naturally align.

Deepening spiritual intimacy might foster loving your partner more fully. Or that certification opens the door to a career shift.

Step Three: Color code your calendar.

This may require that you actually put items on the calendar that have previously gone undocumented. For example, if you focused on preparing for a meeting, then set that as a calendar appointment and not just the meeting.

Your calendar should look 80% filled or more. Then shade each time block with a color. One color for every category.

Step Four: Reflect on how you spent your time.

At the end of the day, end of the week, or end of the month, have a look at the colors.

Is there a pattern? Are there colors missing? How much of the calendar was shaded with someone else’s priorities?

Step Five: Adjust your time.

If you a time architect, you will fill out your upcoming calendar with time blocks. Each block will be shaded and ideally balanced according to your priorities.

If you are more like a warrior, exceptional in the moment, then try something different. Author your guiding principles for the day, the week, or the month. Then measure how well you did against those principles.

The act of providing structure around your time tells you more than what happened in the past.

It’s going to create a filter to deal with the future. It will help keep you away from that which works against your intentions.

It will also provide context for what you are doing right now. Could this favor for a friend match your intention to be a more helpful neighbor?

Increasing the relevance of an action will deepen your commitment to it. It will also drive up the quality of the outcome. Purpose has a funny way of doing that.

Structure gives us the means to align to that purpose. And that might just be the difference maker in a satisfactory life.