I’m learning much more than anticipated when I am researching, preparing a novel and other short stories (still in progress). I have such an appreciation for those who are already published.
Something we readers take for granted is the research and preparation that goes into producing content we learn from (non fiction) and then enjoy (fiction). Reading a book is the ability to learn all of the insights and facts that an author has spent countless hours on. What takes them months or years only takes us a few hours!
This alone makes a book our best tool to acquire knowledge, years of knowledge at our fingertips. We owe it to ourselves to focus and apply what we are learning. Don’t just consume but to read for understanding and growth. I am slowly going through a book right now with pen and pencil in hand to highlight passages I want to follow up on or emphasize. I’m even having a one way conversation by asking the author questions that will probably never be answered by them.
When you think about all the hard work author’s put in to their writing it should make you appreciate it all the more. I know I do.
Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? Bruce Banner or Hulk? Harvey Dent or Two-Face?
Or in my situation, the Free Spirit or the Recluse.
All of us have at least two distinctive personalities inside of us. Mine is the free spirit which thrives on new experiences, loathes routine, discipline and wants to learn new things for fear of growing stagnant.
The
recluse in me seeks the stability of a comfortable routine, finds that new experiences are tiring and doesn’t care about what is next.
The day after Christmas found me sending an email and then return a package. After that, I was lazy. Could care less abut anything else and it felt good to lay on the couch and watch a movie or read one of my new books. If I try that later today I would probably feel the walls closing in and have to get outdoors.
What to do? Should I find comfort on the familiar road or should I stray from the path and expand the horizon? Re-experience the reliable?
In the past I felt torn between the two. I am learning to come to terms and accept both characteristics.
Now that I have completed my reading goal of fifty books this year, I am already making plans on next year’s goals. It won’t be fifty. It may be less than half that, I am not sure. The reasons are many but it boils down to appreciating what I am reading. I want to read intently and purposefully. Fifty books was too fast and unproductive. I picked up a few kernels of knowledge but forgot the rest. Well not this next year. This next year:
Read-It-Later I have some time off for a few weeks. Time to catch up on all those articles I’ve saved on Instapaper, Pocket, Feedly.
Digital magazines My local library provides no-cost access to hundreds of titles. Time to take full advantage of them.
Read my night stand stack I do not want to buy or borrow anymore books until I have exhausted my current supply. If someone gifts me a book, obviously that is different but I need to appreciate what I have first.
Mix it up with both fiction and non. I want to be both informed and entertained.
More physical less digital I’ve mentioned previously that I will be mentally dissecting these books. Mostly with books in hand, not on my devices.
If interested, you can follow me on Goodreads, a tool I will use to help manage my reading life.
When I am in a mood or uninspired, I know myself well enough on how to change improve it. These aren’t revelations, just simple reminders.
Thankfulness: You’ve had worse. Try recalling those worse moments and then remember that “this” isn’t that bad.
Meditation: I’ve discovered mindfulness and self-awareness by taking the time to stop and listen. Listen to what my mind and body are telling me. Beneficial for short fixes and long term habits.
Sleep: My sleep hours are all over the place and this needs to change. Finding a consistent sleep schedule is crucial.
Help Someone Else: It isn’t always about you. You can snap out of your funk by helping them get out of yours. Go do something for them or simply call/write to them and let them know you care and want to help.
Bite-sized: Your to-do list may be too big. That means it is overwhelming. This puts you into a funk. Shrink your tasks to something attainable which in turn, creates bite-sized wins to keep you going.
Change Something: You’re stuck in a rut. Get out of it by changing your routine. Eat something new, listen to a podcast instead of your same music playlist. Heck, even try silence. Walk around the grocery store a different path than the usual. With all these we might find something we haven’t discovered before and benefit.
Get Out: I am a big fan of wandering. Mindful walking with no destination. That’ll cure what ails you. Solvitur ambulando is Latin for “it is solved by walking.”
Get Active: Everyone knows that exercise improves anxiety, depression and brain power. Go workout already. Stretch yourself with yoga, take a hike or pump those pedals.
Socialize: Most of us can always rely on family, friends or a pet to spend some time with. They understand you and you can be yourself around them. We are in a connected, social world and yet we feel enclosed and funky. Take advantage of these resources.
All of these are beneficial when applied which means you’ll need to apply the maximum amount of will to get there. So even if you are wired, tired or uninspired this still depends on you to change the situation. After that, we’ll be back to normal. Whatever normal looks like.
When and how does anyone make the time? The simple answer is deliberately. There are plenty of mind-numbing, time-wasting activities out there but who wouldn’t want to get something out of it?
One helpful tip is that “Airplane Mode” on your device works just as well
on the ground. That’ll help you with distraction-free reading.
Because another goal for next year is practicing marginalia, the art of marking up one’s book with notes in the margins. I consider it a dialogue with the author and would invest myself back into the book as opposed to reading it and moving on to the next one, learning almost nothing.
This, I think, will make for the best, distraction free and deliberate way to enjoy books.
Time to evaluate my progress for my Groundhog Resolutions, the 10th
annual attempt at creating life-long habits for myself. I’ve discovered
that right after the end of the year holidays I am not mentally or
physically capable of sticking with resolutions for the upcoming new
year. I need a break so I take the whole month of January off to reflect
and plan and start on 2/2 instead of 1/1.
I’ve got one more month (12/12) to wrap all this up until Groundhogs Day 2019.
Fun-
Get another tattoo: Coming soon
More camping: Waiting on warmer weather
More skinny dipping: Think I’ll have to skip that this year
Learn Spanish more fluently: Downloaded the Duolingo app for practice but haven’t used it. Will work with the MissAdventurer
Join a book club: No decent bookclubs around town.
50 Books a year challenge: According to Amazon and the library, I’ve read 46 so far. I’ll share my reading list next month.
Snail mail friend: Fail mail
Volunteer: Who’s got the time?
Fitness-
Kickboxing: The gym offers one class…during the day. One day a week. Fail.
Self-defense: Can’t defend myself. Fail
Yoga: Almost daily. Is it supposed to hurt when I stretch?
More 5 & 10k obstacle course racing: I finished the Warrior Dash again. Next year I want to do a minimum of 3
Consistent training: Working out with Tracy is mutually beneficial. Accountability may be the one thing I needed to maintain this.
Consistent nutritional training: Really been enjoying more meals at home. Eating out is becoming frustrating and disappointing. This is making my decision to eat in easier
Hashing: I’m done for this season. My foot injury sidelined me.
Hiking: I want to explore more but again, foot. Time to hit some light, low elevation trails.
Geocaching: I want to find at least ten more caches before year end. Will I renew my premium membership? Lets find out.
Meditation: Ommm… this has been beneficial but not consistent.
Creative-
Complete my book: I have been enjoying the process so far. It won’t get done this year. There is too much I want to include and that involves more research. Besides…still working on an ending.
Photo essay on a topic I am passionate about: Cold, crisp nights will help me round out my Tulsa After Dark series for the year.
Video log every month: This is so easy and yet it hasn’t been done.
Leave inspirational notes everywhere:
Year in photos album: Cannot wait to see what 2018 memories I’ll have at the EOY.
Shoot more film: Film is a precious commodity. A costly commodity. Sure, the Fuji camera is fun but at almost $1.50 a sheet? I am convinced that I will buy a Canon 35mm soon though. It’ll be cheaper
DAM: I have all the DSLR photos organized into yearly folders. Finally. Now to sort the wheat from the chaff. Oh, and since I shut down Google photos, I need to organize and integrate all these mobile pics from the years too. I just doubled my work!
I’ve recently re-discovered the app MindNode, an app that helps diagram ideas and thoughts in a visual way.
Here’s an example of what a basic mind map structure looks like:
Just a simple diagram I generated about mind-mapping and why I use MindNode instead of other similar apps.
Cost: $15 for the unlocked iOS app. Or free if you don’t mind limited features.
Sync: Using iCloud, it syncs very well between my iPhone and iPad
Export: I use a Windows laptop, not a Mac. So I have to use a Windows version of mind mapping tool called FreeMind. Whatever I create on my iDevices will open on my laptop.
Maps can be used in a variety of ways of course. I have used mapping for
productivity, goals, notes, brainstorms, problem solving, book
summaries, task management, video summaries ( I take notes while
watching TED or podcasts). Here lately though, I have been using it to
map out plots and story ideas for the novels yet to be but on paper.
Here is a sneak peek of one of them:
Redacted of course! Can’t give it all away just yet.
