@zachpogrob
Obsession beats discipline - go all-in on your craft until you either die or get reborn.
Obsession as Time Dilation
True obsession makes external time irrelevant - clocks have no time, calendars have no days, phones have no notifications. Use this as a diagnostic for whether you are genuinely obsessed versus merely interested.
Decision Rule
Test your obsession by noticing your relationship with time. If hours disappear without noticing and days blur together because every day is devoted to the same thing, you are obsessed. If you watch the clock, you are not.
How It Works
Flow states dissolve time perception. When obsessed, you enter continuous flow where external markers cease to exist. The work itself becomes the only measure.
Failure Modes
Using this to justify neglecting health, relationships, or basic needs
Confusing dissociation or escapism with productive flow
Expecting time dilation in all aspects when some work is necessarily clock-bound
Example Decision
“Realizing you have not checked your phone in 8 hours because you were building indicates genuine obsession. Realizing you check the time every 30 minutes indicates you should find different work.”