Behind the seemingly random choices, there are deep mechanisms of decision-making paths, psychological expectations and product experience. As product managers, how can we extract insights from life scenarios, identify users’ real motivations, and avoid those “decision traps” that seem reasonable but misleading? This article will take a hot pot as a starting point to take you into the cognitive maze behind user behavior and launch a unique product thinking training.
1. Preamble
As a product manager, I am used to using product thinking to deconstruct various phenomena in life. When I was eating skewer hot pot today, a seemingly ordinary “pick-leftovers” cycle triggered my deep thinking about user behavior, decision-making mechanisms and product design.
As the red oil bubbled in the copper pot, I stared at the skewers in the freezer and vowed for the Nth time: “There must be no leftovers this time.” The coriander beef is shiny, the liver slices are as thin as cicada wings, the lotus root slices wrapped in icing are shining, and each bamboo skewer is hooking my fingertips. The guilt of last week’s leftovers has not yet disappeared, and my hand has already held the third skewer of fish and tofu.
The first time I picked up the vegetables, I was like a self-disciplined pacesetter, my left hand was empty, my right hand was finely picked, I counted every three skewers, and finally chose twenty, thinking that “seven points are just right”. The sesame paste mixed with garlic paste was just mixed, and the first bite of the tripe was wrapped in red oil, and the brain immediately shouted “do more”. Rationally chanting “What a pity that the quail eggs stinked last week”, but the emptiness in the stomach was like a cat’s claw scratching people who couldn’t sit still.
The second time I went to the freezer, my pace was much lighter. As soon as the thought of “only five skewers” came up, he had already grabbed a kelp knot in his hand. When I returned to my seat, I found that there were fifteen more skewers. When the seventh skewer of beef was swallowed, the feeling of fullness suddenly surged in, looking at the eight strings of liver and half a plate of potato slices in the bowl, as if he saw himself sighing at the leftovers last week shaking his head.
Observing his own process of picking vegetables perfectly confirms Kahneman’s dual-system theory:
In product design, we need to realize that users are in a system 1 dominant state most of the time. Just like when I am in a hot pot restaurant, rational plans always fail in the face of temptation.
In reality, this kind of scene is very familiar: when shopping, it is said that it only buys what is needed, but the settlement has three more items to “make up and subtract”; Before going to bed, he said to swipe his phone for another ten minutes, and when he put it down, the sky was already white; At the beginning of the year, I decided to read 50 books, and at the end of the year, the new books were still wrapped in plastic seals. We always preset the perfect route, but at the first fork in the road, we turn back to the old road.
The struggle in front of the freezer is a collision of primitive survival instincts and modern rules. The ancients saw that wild fruits would be more colorful, because they didn’t know when they would be full next time; Nowadays, supermarkets are open 24 hours a day, but the brain is still stuck in the mode of “hoarding more is safe”. This mismatch, in the hot pot restaurant, there may be a few strings of dishes left, in the conference room may be an unfinished task, and in front of the desk may be a plan that cannot be executed.
What’s more interesting is that we are always tolerant and helpless about repeated mistakes. When I walked out of the hot pot restaurant and threw the leftover skewers, I comforted myself to “pay attention next time”, which was like putting a band-aid on a wound that couldn’t stop the root. Neuroscientists say that the brain will turn on a warning light when the first offender is committed, and after repeating it three times, the activity of the relevant area drops by 40%, like an alarm numb to noise – no wonder last week’s lesson can’t stop today’s extra strings.
New note of the mobile phone memo: “The remaining seven strings of liver are not because of greed, but because the brain has not learned to restrain itself in abundance.” Growing up is never about not making mistakes, but understanding the reasons for mistakes and slowly getting out of the vicious circle of the cycle.
2. Phenomenon deconstruction: the daily epitome of repeated mistakes
2.1 Similar “vegetable picking dilemma” in life
This rout in the skewer shop is actually the epitome of countless repeated mistakes in life. When we open mobile shopping software, we always go through a similar psychological process: first type “shampoo” in the search bar, thinking “I run out of food at home, just buy a bottle”; When sliding the page, I suddenly saw a pop-up window saying “buy two get one free”, which reminded me of “I will use it sooner or later”, and there were three more bottles in the shopping cart in an instant; Before checkout, I caught a glimpse of the “30 minus 200” prompt, so I added two boxes of masks, and finally spent 186 yuan more than originally planned. The pleasure of unpacking when receiving a courier often disappears when you see a credit card bill – like throwing away an unfinished skewer and the fleeting satisfaction is replaced by guilt.
The “vegetable picking dilemma” in time management is more hidden. When watching short videos before going to bed, we often say to ourselves, “Watch it for another ten minutes and go to sleep”, but our fingers keep sliding up; When I put down my phone at two in the morning, I secretly vowed to “go to bed early tomorrow”, and the next night I repeated the same mistake. Behind this cycle, there is the same psychological mechanism hidden as when holding skewers: instant gratification is like beef skewers in the freezer, always tempting us to break the original plan. According to a survey by the American Sleep Association, 76% of people have a situation where they “know that staying up late is harmful but do it repeatedly”, which is strikingly similar to the proportion of hot pot restaurant diners who “know there will be leftovers but take more”.
“Overtaking” in the workplace is even more difficult to detect. At the quarterly meeting, when the leader assigned the task, we knew that we already had three projects at hand, but in the hesitation of “this task does not seem difficult” and “will it seem incompetent to refuse”, we nodded and took on the fourth. The night of overtime before the deadline is like the early morning of the morning when you have a stomach ache after eating, and your body bears the price of poor decision-making. This “over-commitment” is essentially the same as “over-taking” when taking skewers: they are all overestimating their own carrying capacity in an environment with sufficient resources (ingredients/time).
The formulation of study plans often falls into a similar circle. When I wrote down the goal of “reading two books a week” at the beginning of the year, my confidence was comparable to the determination I had when I first took the skewers; On weekends, I was always persuaded by the thought of “I’m too tired today, I’ll read it tomorrow”. When sorting out the bookshelves at the end of the year, there is a thin layer of dust on the spines of those brand new books, like unfinished skewers in a hot pot restaurant, silently telling the gap between planning and execution. Psychologists call this phenomenon the “planning fallacy” – when people predict future behavior, they always overestimate their execution and underestimate the interference of the environment, just like when we take skewers, we always feel that we can eat more, but forget that the delicious food will lose rational judgment in the present.
2.2 The hidden cost of repeated mistakes
When throwing away unfinished skewers, the visible loss is the dozens of dollars and a few skewers of ingredients, but the real cost of repeated mistakes is often hidden in invisible places. Biologists did an interesting experiment: rats were asked to choose between “a small amount of immediate food” and “a lot of delayed food”, and the mice that repeatedly chose instant food had a 12% smaller hippocampal volume after three months than the control group – meaning that continuous short-sighted decision-making can damage the brain’s memory and decision-making center. Although humans are not directly observed like mice, every time they make a mistake, they actually weaken the brain’s self-restraint mechanism.
The loss in the time dimension is even more shocking. A person who always scrolls through his phone before going to bed cumulatively loses about 450 hours of sleep in a year, which equates to 18 full working days less; A person who frequently overspends on shopping costs an average of 8 hours per month (price comparison, returns, handling idleness) for “unplanned purchases”. These fragmented losses are like the remaining skewers of a hot pot restaurant, insignificant alone, but accumulated enough to change the direction of life.
A more hidden price is the erosion of self-efficacy. “Self-efficacy” in psychology refers to the level of trust in one’s own abilities, like the process of inflating a balloon, increasing air pressure with each successful completion of a plan and slowly deflating with each repeated mistake. An employee who always rushes to meet deadlines will slowly doubt his time management skills; A person who repeatedly breaks his vow to “go to bed early” will eventually lose faith in “change”. This hidden psychological loss is more difficult to compensate for than material loss – just like people who eat for a long time will lose their perception of satiety, and people who make frequent mistakes will gradually lose the ability to judge “correct decisions”.
At the societal level, the cost of repeated mistakes can be presented in more complex forms. In enterprises, rework costs caused by “over-commitment to customers” account for an average of 17% of the total project budget; In school, students who miss the opportunity to study due to “procrastination” need to pay the original 2 when remedying. 3x the effort. Behind these data are countless individual decisions that “take too many strings”, which has a butterfly effect at the collective level.
When we feel sorry for the leftover dishes in a hot pot restaurant, we should perhaps realize that this is not only a waste of a few skewers, but also a warning from the brain – those seemingly harmless repeated mistakes are quietly reshaping our behavior patterns, and once the patterns are solidified, they will be like bamboo skewers in the freezer, stringing up strings of similar regrets in life.
3. Scientific traceability: the deep mechanism behind repeated mistakes
3.1 The conflict between evolutionary residual survival instincts and modern society
The living environment of primitive societies shaped the unique behavior patterns of human beings, which were the magic weapons of survival at that time, but became the cause of repeated mistakes in modern society with great material abundance. In times of food scarcity, humans had to get as much food as possible because the time of the next meal was uncertain. This “hoarding instinct” is deeply ingrained in our genes, and when faced with a dazzling array of ingredients in the freezer, the voice in our genes urges us to “get more, don’t miss out”, even if we know we can’t finish it at all.
This evolutionary residue instinct is particularly evident in the face of resources. Just as primitive people will store as much water as possible, modern people will be tempted to hoard discounted goods when shopping, even if they are not needed at the moment. The study found that this hoarding behavior is closely related to the hippocampus in the brain, which is responsible for memory and spatial orientation, and helped humans remember the location of food and water sources in primitive societies, while in modern society, it can make us have a strong possessiveness over things that “may be useful”, leading to repeated errors such as overconsumption and over-acquisition.
In addition, the “instant return” mechanism of primitive society also influences our modern decision-making. Primitive people were rewarded with food immediately after their labor, and this instant feedback reinforced their behavior. Many goals in modern society require long-term effort to achieve, such as learning a skill or completing a long-term project, and this delayed return conflicts with primitive instincts, causing us to easily give up in the process or adopt short-sighted behavior, and then make mistakes repeatedly.
3.2 The influence of socio-cultural environment on repeated mistakes
The social and cultural environment also invisibly promotes the occurrence of repeated mistakes. Modern society is full of all kinds of consumerist propaganda, and advertisements constantly convey to us the concepts of “having more to be happy” and “gratifying in time”, which echo our genetic hoarding instinct and instant gratification tendency, making us more likely to lose control of shopping, eating, etc.
For example, in the catering industry, the prevalence of models such as “buffet” and “unlimited refills” takes advantage of people’s psychology of “wanting to make back costs” to induce us to overeat. The same is true for the business model of skewer hot pot, with rich dishes and low unit prices, making it easier for us to ignore our actual needs when picking up vegetables, thus falling into the cycle of “taking more and eating less”.
In addition, the acceleration of the pace of society has also made it easier for people to make impulsive decisions. In our fast-paced lives, we don’t have enough time to think deeply and often rely on our intuition and habits that may be the cause of repeated mistakes. For example, at work, in order to catch up, we may use methods that have been used in the past but have not worked well, rather than spending time looking for a better solution, resulting in the same mistake happening again.
3.3 Neuroplasticity and the possibility of alteration
While there are many underlying reasons for repeated mistakes, that doesn’t mean we can’t change. Neuroplasticity theory tells us that the structure and function of the brain change with experience and learning. Through conscious training, we can reshape the brain’s neural circuits, enhance our ability to make rational decisions, and reduce the probability of repeated mistakes.
For example, we can improve our concentration and self-awareness through meditation training. Studies have shown that long-term meditation enhances the activity of the prefrontal cortex, improves the efficiency of system 2 calling, and allows us to better control our impulses in the face of temptation. After a period of 10-15 minutes of meditation every day, we will find ourselves more calm and rational in making decisions.
Having clear rules and plans is also an effective way to change. When faced with scenarios that may lead to repeated mistakes, set specific rules in advance, such as determining the number of skewers you want to take before going to the skewer shop, and strictly abide by them; When shopping, make a detailed shopping list and only buy the items on the list. These rules can help us reduce the interference of System 1 and make System 2 work better.
Additionally, it is important to use environmental cues to guide behavior. For example, in order to avoid staying up late to brush your phone, we can put our phone in another room before going to bed to reduce the stimulation of environmental temptations; To control our diet, we can use smaller utensils to make it easier for ourselves to visually perceive the amount of food and thus avoid overeating.
3.4 Effective Paths to Learn from Mistakes
To break the cycle of repeated mistakes, the key is to learn to learn effectively from your mistakes. Many people simply blame themselves after making mistakes without deeply analyzing the reasons for the mistakes, leading to the same mistakes happening again. The correct approach is to reflect and summarize after each mistake, identify the specific factors that led to the mistake, and then take targeted measures to improve it.
For example, after taking too many dishes in a skewer shop, we can reflect on whether the dishes are too tempting, whether we do not have a clear quantity plan, or whether we are influenced by the people around us. If it is because there is no clear quantity plan, then determine the quantity in advance before the next visit; If it’s because the dishes are too tempting, you can try to divert your attention when taking the dishes, such as silently thinking about your plans.
At the same time, we can create an “error log” that records the scenarios, causes, consequences, and improvement actions of each mistake. Through long-term recording, we can discover the patterns and patterns of repeated mistakes, so as to prevent and correct them in a targeted manner. For example, if you find that you always make impulsive purchases because of “discounts” when shopping, then the next time you encounter a discount, you can remind yourself to consider the actual needs of the item first rather than being attracted by the discount.
In addition, seeking supervision and feedback from others can also help us better learn from our mistakes. We can tell our friends or family about our goals and plans so that they can alert us when we may make mistakes. At the same time, listening to the opinions and suggestions of others can also allow us to look at the problem from a different perspective and find the wrong reasons that we have not noticed.
Repeated mistakes are the result of a combination of factors, including decision-making loopholes at the brain science level, as well as psychological, evolutionary, socio-cultural and other influences. But by understanding these deep mechanisms, training with neuroplasticity, and learning to learn effectively from mistakes, we are well-equipped to break the cycle of repeated mistakes and achieve self-growth and progress.
4. Targeted breakthroughs: scientifically avoid the mistake of “eating skeletons”
4.1 Use emotional leverage to strengthen self-control
Emotions are the invisible drivers that affect decision-making, and making good use of emotional leverage can effectively enhance self-control. When faced with the temptation of the freezer, we can actively evoke the “loss aversion” emotion. Psychological research shows that people are more sensitive to losses than to desire gains, and this emotion can quickly activate rational decision-making systems. Later, before I took the food, I would deliberately imagine that “these extra skewers will be thrown away in the end, which is equivalent to throwing away dozens of dollars in vain”, and this imagination of loss will cause a slight anxiety in the amygdala of the brain, thereby inhibiting impulsive behavior. Experiments have shown that this method reduces the probability of overtaking by 40%, which is like adding an invisible shackle to desire.
At the same time, we can cultivate “the pleasure of delayed gratification”. When you successfully resist the urge to take more, give yourself some positive psychological cues in time, such as “This time I took the right amount, enjoying the food without wasting it, it’s really good”. This positive emotional feedback prompts the brain to secrete endorphins, which bring a sense of pleasure, which reinforces our self-control behavior and forms a virtuous circle. Just like giving a reward when training a puppy, the brain will also be more willing to make rational decisions next time because of this pleasure.
In addition, associating current behavior with long-term goals can stimulate stronger self-control motivation. For example, if you are losing weight, you can think that “eating too much will affect the progress of weight loss, and you are one step away from the goal of wearing good-looking clothes”; If you value frugality, think of “wasting food doesn’t fit your philosophy of life.” This correlation allows us to take a longer-term view of current decisions and resist the temptation of immediacy.
4.2 Improve the quality of decision-making with the help of tools
In the era of information explosion, making good use of tools can help us make more rational decisions and avoid “eating strings” mistakes. For controlling diet, some diet recording apps are good helpers, we can record the type, quantity and body feelings of each time we eat skewers on the APP, and the APP will help us find out the eating patterns and potential problems through data statistics and analysis, and provide a reference for the next decision. For example, if you find yourself overdoing beef skewers every time you take them through the APP, you can set the upper limit of beef skewers in advance next time.
A timer is also a simple and effective tool. Before taking the second wave, set a 5-minute timer and use this time to calm down your brain and feel the current feeling of fullness. Many times, our “still want to eat” is just a spur of the moment, and after 5 minutes this urge weakens. I have tried this method many times and found out that I was actually full after the timer went off, thus avoiding overtaking.
There are also physical tools that can help us control the amount of food, such as customizing a plate with a scale, the scale on the plate corresponds to different food volumes, and the food is served according to the scale, which can intuitively control the quantity. This visualization tool bypasses the interference of System 1 and sends a clear number of signals directly to the brain.
4.3 Cultivate habitual rational behavior
Turning rational decisions into habits allows us to make the right choices in the face of temptation without much effort. Habit formation needs to be repeated and reinforced, and we can start with the small details of picking up vegetables and cultivate a series of habits that help rational decision-making.
For example, developing the habit of “drinking water before picking up vegetables” can temporarily relieve hunger and make us more rational when picking up vegetables. Studies have shown that drinking water before meals can reduce appetite by about 13%, which is helpful for controlling the amount of food you take. I go to the skewer shop now, and the first thing I do after sitting down is to drink a glass of water, and then start to take the food, and I feel that the control of my appetite is indeed a lot easier.
In addition, it is also effective to develop the habit of “fixing the order of picking dishes”. For example, take the vegetarian dishes first, then the meat dishes, and finally take a small amount of snacks, this fixed order can prevent us from being attracted by high-calorie meat dishes as soon as we come up and take too much. Moreover, eating some vegetarian dishes first can increase satiety and reduce the need for meat dishes in the future.
At the same time, we can transfer the rational decision-making habits learned in the skewer store to other aspects of life, such as developing the habit of “making a list before shopping” when shopping, and developing the habit of “planning first and then doing it” when working. By repeating rational behavior in different scenarios, rational decision-making becomes an automated habit, thereby fundamentally avoiding repeated mistakes.
4.4 Establish a mechanism for group supervision and mutual assistance
Individual self-control is limited, and group supervision and mutual assistance can provide additional motivation to avoid “eating strings” mistakes. You can join some communities that focus on rational consumption and healthy eating, share your experiences and insights in the community, and encourage and supervise each other with other members.
For example, launch a “control string take-up challenge” in the community, where everyone shares their take-in and feelings every day, praises members who successfully control, and gives advice and encouragement to members who fail to control. This group atmosphere makes us more motivated to make rational decisions while also being inspired by the experiences of others.
You can also form a “rational decision-making mutual support group” with your friends to remind and restrain each other when faced with scenarios that may lead to mistakes. For example, when you go to eat skewers together, you agree to supervise each other’s amounts; When shopping together, check each other’s shopping carts for non-essential items. This group supervision mechanism can make up for the lack of individual self-control and make it easier to avoid mistakes.
Avoiding the “string-eating” mistake requires a multifaceted effort, from activating rational decision-making systems and building environmental constraint mechanisms, to strengthening feedback and memory connections, to using emotional levers, tools, cultivating habits, and establishing group supervision, each method has its scientific basis and practical value. By combining these methods, we can gradually get rid of the cycle of repeated mistakes and make more rational and informed decisions in life.
5. Domain extension: error correction strategies in work scenarios
5.1 The “de-redundancy” rule to improve meeting efficiency
In the conference room, the topics are constantly increasing like strings in the freezer, and the original one-hour meeting has dragged on to two hours before it ends, and everyone is exhausted after the meeting – this situation of “meeting redundancy” is the same as the waste caused by greed when picking up food. Many meetings lack a clear focus, and the topics are scattered at will, just like picking up vegetables without a plan, and the final output is few but takes a lot of time.
The solution is to put a “core topic filter” on the meeting. Just like determining the main target ingredients before taking the dishes, before the meeting, it is necessary to clarify “the only issue that must be resolved in this meeting” and write it down in a prominent position in the conference room, and any deviant discussion will be stopped in time like a skewer. My team later stipulated that each meeting should have a maximum of 3 topics, and each topic should be marked with “desired results”, just like setting a “20 strings” limit when holding a string, so that the meeting always revolves around the core. Studies have shown that meetings with clear topics can be 50% more efficient, just like picking up vegetables to avoid waste, making every minute count.
At the same time, the “time slicing method” is used to manage the meeting process. Just like taking the control quantity in batches when picking up vegetables, the meeting delineates a clear time for each topic, reminds it with a timer, and moves on to the next item at the point. This time constraint activates the participant’s System 2 and prevents small talk from taking up too much time. I tried to allocate 15 minutes to each topic in a meeting, and when the timer went off, people were able to focus on key issues quickly, just as the number of items made people choose more carefully, and the time limit made the discussion more efficient.
It is also important to distribute “topic threads” before the meeting. Just like understanding the food before taking the dishes, sending the relevant information to the participants in advance before the meeting, so that everyone has time to think ahead and avoid wasting time due to information asymmetry in the meeting. This is like knowing before taking food, which can reduce blind discussion and make the meeting more targeted.
5.2 Optimize the “precise transmission” skills of communication and collaboration
At work, the bias in information transmission is like remembering the wrong quantity when picking up food, often leading to duplication of labor and mistakes. A vague sentence “complete this task as soon as possible” may lead the recipient to understand it as “today” or “this week”, just like saying “take less” without a clear amount, which is easy to misunderstand. This kind of communication mistake is essentially the laziness of the information sender System 1 and does not translate the information into concrete content that System 2 can clearly process.
To achieve “accurate transmission”, it is necessary to install a “clear scale” for information. Just like saying “20 skewers” instead of “some” when picking up food, it is necessary to clarify the three elements of “time, standard, and responsible person” when communicating tasks. For example, instead of saying “get the report right”, you will complete the report revision by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, focusing on checking the accuracy of the data. This specific expression allows the recipient’s left brain logical center to accurately receive information, just as a clear number gives a clear basis for picking vegetables. Experiments have shown that this structured communication can reduce information bias by 70%, just like accurately picking vegetables to avoid waste, making communication efficient and error-free.
Establishing a “closed loop of information feedback” is also crucial. Just like checking the quantity after picking up the food, the receiver should repeat the confirmation after the information is transmitted. After assigning tasks, I will ask the other party to repeat key information to ensure consistent understanding, which is like counting strings after picking up food, detecting deviations in time and correcting them. This feedback mechanism avoids mistakes caused by “taking it for granted” and allows information transmission to form a complete loop.
In addition, choosing the right “communication carrier” is like choosing the right tool to pick vegetables. Simple tasks use instant messages, complex tasks use emails or documents, and important tasks are communicated face-to-face and supplemented by records, just like taking different strings with different plates, choosing the appropriate transmission method according to the nature of the information can improve the accuracy of information transmission.
5.3 “Energy Management” Strategies for Balancing Work and Rest
Exerting too much energy at work is like eating skewers, which can lead to decreased efficiency and increased mistakes. Some people are always like greedy for food, constantly working to complete more tasks, but as a result, their energy is overdrawn, and the quality of follow-up work is greatly reduced, which is a misjudgment of their own energy “food”. The prefrontal cortex of the brain will get tired after continuous work, just like judgment decreases after continuous picking, and needs reasonable rest to recover.
The key to “energy management” is to set an “alternating scale” for work and rest. Just like eating skewers in moderation and tasting slowly, you should follow the “energy cycle” at work, dealing with complex tasks at peak energy, and arranging breaks or simple work at troughs. I found myself at my most energetic time from 9-11 a.m. through my logs, so I set aside important meetings and creative work during this time. If you are tired at 3-4 p.m., arrange to organize documents or take a short break, just like adjusting the pace of picking up food according to your appetite, arranging work according to energy changes, and your efficiency will be significantly improved.
At the same time, set a “mandatory rest point” like a pause when picking up food. 1 per job. Get up and move for 10 minutes every 5 hours to get your brain out of a working state, just like pausing to think about whether you are overdoing it when picking up vegetables. Studies have shown that regular breaks can increase productivity by 30%, just as eating properly can maintain good shape, resting properly can maintain productivity.
Also, it is important to develop “energy awareness”. Just like feeling full to control the amount of vegetables, you should always pay attention to your energy state at work, and when there is a lack of concentration and slow reaction, stop and rest in time to avoid mistakes caused by hard support. It’s like eating skewers when you feel full and stop, which keeps you productive.
5.4 “Elastic buffer” mechanism for contingencies
Unexpected situations at work are like suddenly finding your favorite dishes replenished when picking up vegetables, which can easily disrupt the original plan and lead to hasty mistakes. People who are not prepared will be led by sudden tasks and disrupt the overall rhythm, just as they impulsively take more when they see a new skewer, which is a lack of a plan to deal with “unexpected food intake”.
To establish an “elastic buffer” mechanism, you must first set aside “time redundancy”. Just like leaving 2 strings of fault tolerance when picking up food, set aside 20% of the time in your daily work plan to deal with emergencies, so that when you encounter temporary tasks, you won’t panic like overloading food. I leave one hour in my schedule every afternoon to deal with emergencies, like having an empty plate for new dishes, so that there is always room for adjustment.
Second, formulate a “prioritization rule” like a selection criterion when picking up food. When unexpected tasks appear, classify them as “important and urgent”, “important and not urgent”, “urgent not important”, and “not urgent and not important”, just like choosing must-eat items when picking up vegetables, and give priority to key tasks to avoid being disturbed by trivial matters. This sequencing allows System 2 to remain rational in emergencies, just as clarifying the order of picking dishes avoids confusion and keeps work moving forward.
In addition, it is necessary to establish an “emergency resource library”. Just like knowing which dishes are durable in the freezer, you can organize common materials and templates in advance at work, and you can quickly call them when sudden tasks come, reducing preparation time. This is like knowing the situation of the dish in advance, so you can act quickly in emergencies and reduce the probability of mistakes.
From meeting efficiency to communication and collaboration, from energy management to sudden response, many mistakes in work scenarios can be solved by learning from the idea of avoiding “eating strings” mistakes. By equipping work elements with “clear scales”, establishing “feedback mechanisms”, and setting “buffer spaces”, we can make rational decisions in our work, reduce duplicate mistakes, and improve overall efficiency.
6. Expand application: growth path in learning and life
6.1 “Boundary Management” Wisdom in Social Relationships
Overgiving or over-demanding in social interactions, just like taking more and taking less when taking skewers, can make people feel uncomfortable. Some people always seem to be tempted to take more, and they give unreservedly in the relationship, resulting in physical and mental exhaustion; There are also people who blindly ask for it, as if they only take their favorite skewers and ignore others, leaving the relationship unbalanced. This “boundary loss of control” is essentially System 1’s excessive thirst for social feedback, ignoring its own tolerance and the feelings of others.
The key to “boundary management” is to establish a “social capacity meter”. Just like clarifying the upper limit of the number before taking skewers, you must be clear about the time and energy you can invest in socializing. I set a “3 limit on social activities” per week, just like controlling the total amount when taking skewers to avoid excessive social consumption of my energy. Interpersonal relationshipists have found that people with clear social boundaries have higher relationship satisfaction, just as taking the right amount of skewers brings the best experience, and moderate socialization keeps people comfortable in the relationship.
At the same time, learn to “politely refuse” like restraint when taking food. In the face of other people’s requests, measure your own ability like evaluating the amount of food, and gently refuse when you don’t want to agree, just like walking away decisively in the face of a skewer you don’t like. This rejection is not indifference, but a guardian of one’s own boundaries, which can avoid ruining relationships due to over-commitment, just as taking too many skewers can affect the dining experience, and over-commitment can affect the quality of social interaction.
Also, perceiving “social feedback” is important. Just like feeling full when eating skewers and adjusting the amount of food, pay attention to the other person’s reaction and your own feelings in social interaction, and adjust the interaction method in time. If the other person seems impatient, just like eating skewers that don’t suit your taste, end the topic or change the way of communication at the right time so that social interaction is always on a comfortable track.
6.2 “Consumption restraint” strategy in financial planning
Money in a wallet is like a string of ingredients in a freezer, and it is easy to get lost between “want” and “need”. Just like buying more when you see a discounted product, or taking more when you see a skewer, System 1 dominates the decision-making and ignores the actual needs. This “out-of-control consumption” can lead to financial strain, just like taking too many skewers and wasting money, and excessive consumption will waste money and resources.
To “restrain consumption” in financial planning, we must first establish a “demand filtering mechanism”. Just like distinguishing between “must-eat” and “want to eat” before picking up food, use “whether you need it for a week” before shopping to judge the necessity of the item and filter out impulsive consumption. I put items in my cart when I shop and decide whether to buy or not after 24 hours, which is like a pause when picking up groceries, giving System 2 a chance to evaluate rationally and reduce unnecessary spending.
It is also effective to set up a “budget bamboo stick” for consumption. Setting quotas for different consumption categories every month, such as catering, clothing, entertainment, etc., is like setting an upper limit on the number of skewers each time, and stopping consumption after overspending. I use a bookkeeping app to set a “budget alert” for each category, reminding myself when the limit is approaching, just like choosing carefully when picking up vegetables when the quantity is almost there, this budget constraint can make consumption more rational.
In addition, cultivating a consumption concept of “delayed gratification” is like controlling the rhythm of picking vegetables. When encountering items that are not urgently needed, set a “goal achievement reward”, such as completing a project and then buying, just like eating an appropriate amount of skewers and then considering whether to add vegetables, this delay can make us cherish the item more, and also link consumption and effort to avoid blind spending.
6.3 The method of “continuous deep cultivation” in interest cultivation
In the cultivation of interest, “three days of fishing and two days of drying the net” is like taking a skewer in the east and a skewer in the west, and in the end nothing goes deep. Some people learn to draw today, practice guitar tomorrow, and learn programming the day after tomorrow, like taking all the skewers in front of the freezer but not finishing them.
To “continue to cultivate” interests, we must first “focus on single products”. Just like focusing on a few favorite foods when taking skewers, choose 1-2 areas of most interest to go deeper and avoid distraction. I have chosen writing among many interests, and I have used other interests as a concoction, like deciding on a main course and then pairing it with snacks, which allows me to stay engaged and gradually improve my skills.
Setting a “ladder” for interests is like splitting learning objectives. Grading interest skills according to difficulty, from basic to advanced to mastery, is like breaking down a big goal into small tasks, rewarding yourself for every level you complete, just like giving yourself a little satisfaction every few skewers you eat when you pick up food.
Also, it is important to “accept imperfections” in interests. Just like taking skewers occasionally takes more, allowing yourself to slack off or make mistakes in interest cultivation, you don’t have to give up because you don’t persist for a while, just like you won’t stop eating skewers because of a leftover, maintain your love for your interests, and continue to invest in order to gain something.
From social boundaries to financial planning, from interest cultivation to more life scenarios, the logic of avoiding “eating strings” mistakes can all work. The core lies in understanding the brain’s decision-making laws, balancing System 1 and System 2 with scientific methods, and finding “no more, no less” that suits you in various scenarios, so that every choice is more rational and every step of growth is more solid. This kind of growth is not achieved overnight, but like slowly mastering the amount of skewers, constantly adjusting and optimizing in practice, and finally forming your own way of balance.
7. Summary
The freezer of the skewer hot pot is like a mirror, reflecting the neural trajectory of our repeated mistakes – from the restraint of the first time to the second time to the scent of the second time, to the regret of facing leftovers, this cycle hides the brain’s energy-saving instinct, the temptation of instant gratification, and the stubbornness of habitual circuits. When we convert the number of bamboo sticks and the weight of leftovers into analytable data, we will find that those “always unchangeable” mistakes are actually the old paths that System 1 has stepped on in the neural jungle, and the scientific method is to equip System 2 with a compass to open up new paths.
From a brain science perspective, repeated mistakes are not a failure of willpower, but the brain defaults to a “low-energy mode”. When System 1 relies on intuitive decision-making, dopamine in the nucleus accumbens masks the warning of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; After habituation loops are formed, the basal ganglia repeat old behaviors like autopilot. But neuroplasticity research tells us that the brain is always capable of being rewritten – just as deliberate pauses activate rational decision-making and environmental adjustments weaken habitual cues, these methods are essentially building new pathways between neural synapses, so that the restraint of “taking one less” gradually becomes an automatic response.
The method explored in the skewer shop is actually a universal formula for personal growth. The “bamboo stick thinking” of dismantling tasks at work, the “three-color note-taking method” to control the rhythm in learning, and the “food change strategy” to replace habits in life all follow the same logic: not against instinct, but to find a new outlet for instinct. When we transform the lesson of “taking multiple strings” into a “task disassembly list” and “leftover regret” into a “feedback review mechanism”, mistakes are no longer a burden but become “construction drawings” for neural pathways.
True growth is not about never making mistakes, but about establishing a “false conversion rate” – so that every remaining string becomes an opportunity for cognitive upgrades. The amount of leftovers recorded in the phone memo will eventually become a “nerve alarm” for decision-making; Those review marks pasted on the desk will become a “new signpost” for the habit circuit. Just like the red oil in a skewer pot will change with temperature, human behavior patterns can also be reshaped through scientific methods, the key is to turn the vague “next time attention” into specific “counting bamboo sticks before picking vegetables”, “dismantling steps before tasks”, and “getting used to setting brakes in advance”.
When we can precisely control the number of bamboo sticks in front of the freezer, split the learning objectives in front of the desk, and filter the task list in the conference room, we will understand that the so-called growth is to make the rational decision-making of System 2 as natural as the instinctive reaction of System 1. Those cycles that once trapped us will eventually become spiral ladders – every scientific analysis of mistakes is an upgrade for the brain, and the continuous iteration of oneself is the most powerful refutation of “repeated mistakes”.
