These past few weeks I’ve made concentrated efforts to be more mindful of my language and attitude. I find myself swearing less (sorry Mom,) and exhibiting more patience with a lot of success.
A challenge to myself is one of patience towards others or circumstances.
The next time I am inconvenienced, or waiting for what seems too long, I am figuring out how to make the most of it. For me it is a moment to relax, and observe. It’s also a fantastic time to meditate and calm down.
The cursor blinks at me in a passive-aggressive way.
It’s blue, sometimes white line set against a black screen taunts me because I haven’t typed anything in weeks and it shows.
To create something from nothing, to not being able to think about anything interesting at this point is frustrating.
This is just a simple blog post for a simple web site, yeah?
The world contains far more information than any single person can learn in their lifetime. The question is not whether you are ignorant, but what you choose to be ignorant about. Few topics are worth your precious time. Choose what you pay attention to with great care.
James Clear
Curiosity is the impulse to sort ideas out, to travel, and explore.
It’s way past time to explore more.
“There is now a little question that how one uses one’s attention, moment to moment, largely determines what kind of person one becomes. Our minds, our lives are largely shaped by how we use them.” – Sam Harris
In other words, we are what we consume. I want to create a monthly log of my media consumption that tracks my passivity, and cultivates my creativity. Example: If I go further, I could map how reading a book sparks a desire to see a show based on it for a broader perspective. A podcast could point me towards a book I otherwise would have passed up.
I’ll attempt to track the shows and movies I stream (no cable service for me!), books I’ve read, podcasts/music I’ve listened to and the rare YT video I watch. This second edition to the media log rounds out the month of May.
The Toy
Top Gun
Top Gun 2
Fifth Element
Frasier
F1 racing- Barcelona
F1 racing- Monaco
EUFA championship
Stranger Things S4 pt 1
Strange New Worlds
Laser Writer II
Debt- the first 5,000 years
The Utopia of Rules
Bullshit Jobs
Not Lost
iPhoneography Podcast
Streaming Audio Denbow playlist
That’s all for the month of May!
Feeling the need for a change, and a lack of discipline, I’ve decided to drop the 11-month journey.
Instead of writing a new 1/2 year’s resolution, I’ve decided to have a focus word instead. What is a focus word for the 1/2 year? A focus word is a single word that summarizes what need I want to focus on, or what I need to improve on. It might be a theme or overarching focus for the year ahead. Hopefully, it will provide an anchor and encourage me to both consciously and subconsciously consider this focus when making decisions.
Once I’ve considered how this past 1/2 year has been, what can I improve on, keep doing, or do differently for the remainder of the 1/2 year? Once I’ve answered those, I can determine what my focus word for the remaining half of 2022 will be:
I have dropped the groundhog resolution and journey initiatives. I have decided to pivot towards a more simpler goal and focus- a word of the year challenge.
I think that without achieving personal discipline, your efforts at anything else you attempt could fail. Self-discipline will free me up to pursue other personal goals. Self-discipline allows us to do things that are difficult or unpleasant without anyone else pushing you. It was this lack of self-discipline that has allowed me to fail in several attempts in the previous years. Here are some thoughts and goals towards disciplining myself better.
Plan what areas in my life that need discipline
Start small with mini goals
I need to remove any temptations or triggers
Plan and schedule the day
Set up reminders
Exercise frequently
Be decisive and committed (easier typed then done)
Start developing those good habits
Give myself a reward
Make myself accountable
Build in breaks or steps to get back to when I fail
I’ll not share these areas of disciplined focus here just yet. No, this is for me. I do intend to share successes, but probably over on the Micro page in short format rather than long-form posts here.
As with all new endeavors, I’ll be cautiously optimistic. But the truth is I need this and I want this. You can’t achieve goals without discipling yourself first. I’ve failed a few times, but focusing on discipline and overcoming those failures will free me up to achieve other goals and a new focus word for 2023.
The annual subscription to Geocaching is almost up. The e-mail reminder was a wake up call that I haven’t been out there and that’s a pity. Now that I am reminded, I need to et going and finding some caches!
This is the 4th and last stop of my 11th month journey to create life-long habits for myself. The full write-up on this is hosted in the Archives.
I planned to take on this year-long trek up to December 12th (12/12) and to stop and reflect on my progress each month until then. So, how’d it go these past 4 months from February 2nd to June 6 (2/2-6/6)? Honestly, not well. In years past, I’ve spread myself too thin or chose unrealistic goals. This year it has been a lack of discipline. For example:
I resolved to eat out less or eat healthier foods while targeting specific fitness training goals. But these have failed because I failed.
Non-existent due to an ankle injury that has aggravated me for almost a month.
I’ve blogged more recently, as well as journaled, but not at a pace that I’ve wanted. The past month there were a few photo walks, but I don’t think my mind or my ankle was up for them.
I feel like I could cut and paste these posts from one month to the next. What is the point of creating habits for yourself, checking in with supposed accountability with little progress to show in your journey?
I’ve taken an assessment now that I am about halfway through the journey, and it’s time to head back down the trail and try a different route. No more waypoint check-ins because it has not been a happy trail. So, what’s up next, then?
Well, that’s a post for another time. Thank you for joining me on the journey.
When’s the last time you went to an actual website to read a real article written by a human, without being slapped in the face by pop-ups, cookie warnings, ads, and lead-generating magnets? It’s past time to get back to the basics of the WWW. So, here are a few thoughts on how and why this website and extensions of itself exist. First off- This is a one man publishing house. So no one else to blame but me.
Can be the best place to build relationships and network.
This is where I can offer my thoughts products and services best.
When someone does a web search of me, I’d rather project intentional information that I am responsible for and not some random post on social media to be taken out of context.
This is the best spot to test all my ideas/projects/products that I come up with. Not all will work, but those that do not will see a proof of concept.
This is my place where I can express myself (see below for my blog principles.) The newsletters, micro posts, blog articles, e-zines, presets and more are offshoots.
This is my personal site. There are many like it, but this one is mine. The content and style are uniquely my own in its content and style. All articles are not to be reflective of anyone else but myself.
The most successful websites reach out and share with others. Online friendships and networking opportunities have come from twenty plus years of writing.
There is no competition.
Thinking out loud in public builds trust and shows progress towards a successful idea.
Long and short form writing on a personal website gives you an honest glance inside a writer’s brain.
Building relationships means you share stories. Stories solidify relationships.
This website has oscillated between a personal journal, to honest product reviews and networking with others. There is no intent to show that I am an authority to speak on anything, or I know more than you. I am too humble for that.
This website will always be anti-advertising, anti-algorithms and anti-tracking.
This website and its maintenance help my brain.
Perfection, consistency, and expectations die here.
Failure and success will both be public here. New things are tried, most fail, but an effort to be anti-boring is strong.
The free newsletter is an extension of my personal website. It promises to be easily digestible, free-spirited, informal and informational.
An attempt at consistency will be made because people enjoy their routines. I’m leaning towards Sunday morning deliveries, just like the newspapers of old. Remember those?
Obscure links to points of interest, fun, hand drawn or photos shared with interesting illustrations.
The newsletter makes $0 and is not intended to spam for any amount of money. All products I share are free to use and retain a Creative Commons license ©© with attribution.
The newsletter’s intent is to share, build relationships, network, share, etc. There are no pay walls. This is to gather an audience only.
It’s a private email list. No information will be shared. Ever.
I write for only two people: you and me.
I curate information that is of interest to me. Not only that, but I share, and sometimes people enjoy them.
Thinking is not only non-linear, it’s messy. When I picture what my thoughts look like, I don’t see a nice straight road with checkpoints, I see a massive web of tangled threads.
“The illiterate of the 21st century, will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
– Alvin Toffler
