Shoals – Avoid things that are similar to your goal, but not quite it

What

• Defining “shoals” means clarifying things that are NOT your goal even though they may be nearby and in many cases easier to hit.
  • Example: Say you’re on a boat, out at sea. You want to get to a particular port. You don’t just want to get “off the sea”. You need to know which port (or at least which island) you’re aiming for.
  • But then, as you head towards shore, you run the risk of smashing your ship against sandbars or rocks in the shallow water, called shoals. Ack! That’s one way to hit land, but you would destroy your boat.
  • So ideally you want to map out the shoals in advance, as best you can, so that as you’re steering to port, you’re also steering to avoid those shoals.

Why

• Naming likely shoals in advance helps you to spot them if you find yourself veering towards them

How

• Make a list of
  • What are ways in which you could plausibly “succeed” but it would be a failure?
  • Or, what are ways you could cheat?
    • If these cheats actually suffice to achieve your ultimate purpose… then awesome! You’ve found a shortcut, so take it.
    • But if they represent a way to pretend you’re moving towards the goal when you actually aren’t, then make an extra point of avoiding them.
  • Likely traps adjacent to your actual goal that are not your actual goal
• Circle any of the items you think are most likely
• For each, write down 1-2 ways you can prevent this from happening.